As AI drives demand for ever‑larger, more energy‑intensive data centres, a new study by Tokamak Energy and The BE Company shows that replacing copper with high‑temperature superconductors in data centre power distribution could cut power losses by up to 90% at busway level, enabling up to 9% additional IT capacity while significantly reducing operating costs and environmental impact.
Based on a 10 MW data centre, the study found that using REBCO (rare-earth barium copper oxide) technology in place of copper could deliver the following improvements:
- Up to 3.5x higher power density
- Up to 90% reduction in power losses at busway level
- System efficiency improved from around 90% to 99%, directly translating into additional revenue through increased IT capacity
- Up to 50% lower total cost of ownership over a 15-year operating life
HTS technology also offers major environmental benefits, including:
- Up to 90% lower CO₂ emissions, driven by lower power losses and less demand for atmospheric cooling
- Millions of litres of water saved, as cooling requirements fall
- Up to 98% displacement of copper, reducing reliance on a critical and increasingly constrained material
For operators, this means that greater IT workload can be delivered within a fixed grid space, at cheaper costs and in a lighter, smaller and more scalable power infrastructure footprint.
To accelerate deployment, Tokamak Energy, a global leader in fusion and HTS technologies, has partnered with The BE Company (+BE), specialists in data centre infrastructure, on this new feasibility study focussed on next generation power systems.
Results will be presented jointly by Tokamak Energy and +BE at the 2026 Open Compute Project EMEA Summit, a key event for compute, power and infrastructure topics, taking place in Barcelona on 29‑30 April.
The study examined all aspects of a fully integrated HTS data centre power system, including the cryogenic system requirements, thermal management at high current densities, scalability for next‑generation computing workloads, deployment timelines, and total cost of ownership.
Conventional copper‑based power systems are increasingly constrained by heat generation, bulk, weight and efficiency losses. HTS technology offers a step change, with near‑zero electrical resistance, high current density, minimal excess heat, and targeted cryogenic cooling, supported by modular, plug‑in systems that significantly reduce overall operating costs.
Liam Brennan, Director of TE Magnetics, said: “Tokamak Energy has pioneered transformative HTS technology for more than a decade and is committed to unlocking its full benefits to transform industries and improve lives.
“This study with +BE demonstrates the transformative potential for power distribution in high-demand environments such as data centres. This is a critical technology for supporting the UK’s ambitions for energy resilience, digital infrastructure, and economic growth.”
Sath Ganesarajah, CEO of +BE, said: “As rack and cluster densities rise, power delivery has become one of the largest opportunities for outsized gains in cost, efficiency, and performance. High temperature superconductors offer a step-change in current density, losses, and footprint.
“This collaboration shows how superconducting power distribution could enable high-density, AI-native data centres, with a practical focus on deployable architectures, cost profiles, and delivery pathways.”
