Primary aluminium is manufactured through a process called fused-salt electrolysis. The electrochemical process uses electricity as a key input, driving a chemical reaction that produces the lightweight metal. However, some of the energy is lost when transporting the electricity to the electrolysis furnaces. This is due to the fact that conventional conductor rails experience losses caused by electrical resistance. These losses can be avoided with the new power lines. The conductor rails developed by VESC are equipped with high-temperature superconductors, or “HTS” for short. They are specifically designed for high direct current applications and can transmit electricity without any losses. The technology was successfully demonstrated at TRIMET’s production plant in Voerde, achieving a world record during testing: for the first time, HTSs successfully transmitted electricity at a strength of 200,000 amperes. A superconductor line is now being built at TRIMET Hamburg for regular operation of the aluminium smelter.

“As a system provider for TRIMET, we are thrilled to be installing the world‘s largest superconductor connection currently operational in the industry,” says Dr. Wolfgang Reiser, Managing Partner of VESC. “This lighthouse project will advance the industrial adoption of a technology that conserves energy, supports climate protection and is highly material-efficient, requiring only ten percent of the materials used in traditional power lines.”

Over the next few months, VESC will install a 600-meter-long superconductor in the Hamburg aluminium smelter that can transmit energy with a current of 200,000 amperes. Compared to traditional power line systems, the HTS reduces electrical power loss by more than 90 percent. This corresponds to the amount of energy consumed by 20,000 people annually. As a result, TRIMET is not only enhancing the energy efficiency of aluminium production but also lowering carbon emissions. The new power line system saves around 8,000 tons of CO₂ annually.

“As an energy-intensive materials producer, we use every opportunity to increase energy efficiency and minimize our environmental impact. The innovative superconductor will take us a big step forward. It will enable us to further improve the ecological quality of our aluminium products,” says Dr. Andreas Lützerath, member of the Executive Board of TRIMET Aluminium SE.

The conversion of the current power line system in the Hamburg aluminium smelter is scheduled for completion in mid-2027. The project is being scientifically supported by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action of Germany as a “real-world laboratory for the energy transition.”