- HTS cables transmit electrical energy with near-zero resistance utilizing liquid nitrogen cooling
- Not like copper, superconductors don’t generate warmth or require a number of conductors
- Veir demonstrated three megawatts of energy in a simulated information middle setting
Microsoft says it has invested in high-temperature superconducting (HTS) expertise by way of its partnership with Veir, an organization growing HTS information middle energy methods.
HTS cables are designed to transmit electrical energy with near-zero resistance through the use of liquid nitrogen cooling, which eliminates practically all power loss.
Not like copper or aluminum conductors, these superconductors don’t generate warmth and occupy much less bodily house.
How HTS cables differ from conventional conductors
Microsoft says it’s exploring HTS expertise to boost data center power effectivity, cut back transmission losses, and enhance operational sustainability throughout its services.
Veir’s first demonstration of its HTS system occurred in November 2025, efficiently delivering three megawatts of energy by way of a single cable in a simulated setting.
To place it in perspective, an aluminum or copper conductor would produce roughly 150 to 200 kW of resistive warmth and want a number of parallel cables to transmit three megawatts of energy safely.
Whereas this demonstration represents a technical milestone, it’s restricted in scale and doesn’t replicate real-world deployment.
Veir plans to maneuver towards commercialization in 2026, however no timeline has been given for Microsoft’s operational use, partly as a result of the excessive value of superconducting supplies and the problem of cooling HTS traces stay main obstacles.
Even at grid scale, HTS deployment is commonly costlier than typical options when accounting for cooling necessities, provide constraints, and voltage limitations.
Nevertheless, Microsoft suggests HTS expertise may enable denser energy supply with out increasing substations or including extra feeders.
Conventional constraints require operators to decide on between increasing services, decreasing deployment density, or sustaining present operational limits.
HTS cables, in idea, may remove this trade-off and permit for extra compact and energy-efficient methods.
The corporate emphasizes potential enhancements in operational sustainability and minimal impact on native communities, though particular metrics or timelines haven’t been supplied.
Regardless of Microsoft’s optimism, HTS expertise continues to be largely experimental and in its early phases, although the corporate admitted in a blog post that the expertise just isn’t new.
“HTS stays within the growth and analysis stage for adoption at Microsoft’s scale. Proper now, the main focus is on testing, validating and constructing confidence within the expertise with companions,” Microsoft advised The Register.
“The work underway now’s about understanding the place HTS may make sense, and we’re excited by the potential we’re seeing.”
Supplies availability, value, and engineering challenges imply sensible deployment should be years away.
The corporate’s present bulletins serve primarily to point out curiosity within the expertise relatively than sign imminent operational modifications.
Even with progress, information middle operators will nonetheless depend on typical copper and aluminum wiring whereas high-temperature superconducting methods are refined.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our skilled information, opinions, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure that to click on the Observe button!
And naturally you may as well follow TechRadar on TikTok for information, opinions, unboxings in video kind, and get common updates from us on WhatsApp too.
