Energy Applications of Metallic and Oxide Superconductors Enabled by Hydrogen Cryomagnetics
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The global transition to a sustainable energy economy faces fundamental constraints in electrical infrastructure, energy storage, and high-power-density machines. Existing power grids are inadequate for integrating intermittent renewable generation, while the decarbonization of transport and industry necessitates breakthroughs in electric motor and generator technology. Superconductivity, offering lossless power transmission and high-field magnetics, has been a long-held technological goal, but its large-scale implementation has been critically constrained by the supply volatility and prohibitive cost of its primary cryogen, liquid helium. This paper posits that liquid hydrogen (LH 2 ) is the critical enabler to overcome this barrier. At its boiling point of 20 K, LH 2 serves as an ideal cryogen for modern metallic (e.g., MgB 2 ) and oxide (e.g., REBCO) superconductors, which exhibit their optimal performance parameters in this temperature regime. This paper details the “Hydrogen Cryomagnetics” platform, a synergistic integration of superconductivity and hydrogen energy vectors. We analyse its transformative applications in grid-scale transmission (hybrid H₂ electric “SuperCables”), rotating machines (the fuel-as-coolant paradigm for electric aviation), grid stabilization (LH₂-cooled SMES), and compact fusion energy. This synergy positions superconductivity as a practical, scalable, and essential pillar of a decarbonized energy infrastructure.
Author: Bartek Glowacki
Institutions: University of Cambridge, Institute of Power Engineering
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,090
OpenAlex ID: W7128398971