2G HTS (REBCO) tape by SuperPower: status and timeline

2G HTS (REBCO) tape

Make enough high-current superconducting tape for compact fusion magnets, research magnets and power cables. Tape is a bottleneck: one prototype fusion plant may need about 30,000 km of it.

DeployStage 4 of 5

Producing REBCO tape in Glenville, NY for fusion and research magnets; UK production study since June 2026.

Updated 15 Jun 2026Checked 11 Oct0 updates this week

Milestones

Next · UK HTS tape manufacturing study with Tokamak Energy

SuperPower formed from Intermagnetics General's HTS group2000Complete.
Furukawa Electric completes acquisition from PhilipsFeb 2012Complete.
Production moves to a new facility in Glenville, NYDoneComplete.
Tape production for Tokamak Energy's ST80-HTS beginsJan 2023Complete.
UK HTS tape manufacturing study with Tokamak EnergyTarget Jun 2026Current milestone.

Most important updates

Upcoming

Jun 2026UK HTS tape manufacturing study with Tokamak Energy (next)

Current obstacles

Scaling for fusion demandFusion programmes want tens of thousands of km; the UK has no tape factory, and Furukawa's UK work is so far a feasibility study, not a plant.

Physics limits

Crystal alignment sets the currentREBCO carries far less current across misaligned crystal grains, so every metre must be grown on a textured template; a single weak spot limits the whole length of tape.
It must be kept coldREBCO superconducts only below about 90 K (-183 °C), and fusion magnets run much colder to carry more current in high fields, so every system needs cryogenic cooling.

How it works

4 parts

Substrate

Polished nickel-alloy ribbon

Production starts with electropolished Hastelloy ribbon, processed 12 mm wide in reel-to-reel machines.

Texture

Five buffer layers align the crystals

Sputtered buffers block diffusion; an ion-beam-assisted MgO layer lines up the crystal grains so current can cross from grain to grain.

Superconductor

REBCO grown by MOCVD

A rare-earth barium copper oxide film is grown from vapour. Zirconium-based nanorods pin magnetic vortices, so current stays high in strong fields.

Finishing

Silver cap, copper armour

Sputtered silver protects the film; electroplated copper carries current safely if the tape briefly stops superconducting. Then it is slit to width.

Spec sheet

Spec	2G HTS (REBCO) tape
Tape widths	2, 3, 4 or 6 mm (slit from 12 mm)^R (reported)
Copper stabilizer	~5 µm to over 100 µm^R (reported)
Buffer layers	5^R (reported)
Research magnet field with its tape	>40 T (NHMFL)^R (reported)
Tape for Tokamak Energy ST80-HTS	Several hundred km^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Update log

2 updates

Mon 15 Jun

Minor: Furukawa Electric and Tokamak Energy start study on making HTS tape in the UKPressPartnership

Wed 11 Jan 2023

Major: Tokamak Energy signs Furukawa Electric and SuperPower to supply several hundred km of HTS tape for ST80-HTSPressCommercial

About SuperPower

The team behind 2G HTS (REBCO) tape

SuperPower

REBCO superconducting tape, HTS coils, Glenville NY

US maker of second-generation high-temperature superconducting (REBCO) tape in Glenville, New York, owned by Japan's Furukawa Electric since 2012. Its tape goes into record research magnets and fusion prototypes.

Formed in 2000 from Intermagnetics General's superconductor group; Furukawa Electric bought it from Philips in 2012.
Supplying several hundred km of tape for Tokamak Energy's ST80-HTS fusion prototype since 2023.
In June 2026 Furukawa and Tokamak Energy began studying HTS tape manufacturing in the UK.

superpower-inc.com (opens superpower-inc.com)Company profile →

Founded: 200026 yrs
Headquarters: United States
Status: Subsidiaryof Furukawa Electric
Valuation: Furukawa Electric-owned
Works in: MaterialsSuperconducting wireEnergy
Coverage: 1 program · 2 updateslatest 15 Jun 2026checked 11 Oct
Customers: Tokamak Energy (opens tokamakenergy.com)National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (opens nationalmaglab.org)
Acquired by: Furukawa Electric (opens furukawaelectric.com)

Spec

2G HTS (REBCO) tape

Tape widths

2, 3, 4 or 6 mm (slit from 12 mm)^R (reported)

Copper stabilizer

~5 µm to over 100 µm^R (reported)

Buffer layers

5^R (reported)

Research magnet field with its tape

>40 T (NHMFL)^R (reported)

Tape for Tokamak Energy ST80-HTS

Several hundred km^R (reported)