Why is it important?
Many high-power industrial processes may benefit from using superconductors to reduce carbon footprint and increase efficiency. For example, HTS coils for motors help decreasing consumption of critical minerals like copper and rare earth metals, while increasing motor efficiency and decreasing weight and size. These factors can be of paramount importance for megawatt-scale industrial motors, especially if they have high-load factor usage profile.
Although not in use yet, several motor prototypes have been built to date. Superconducting magnets help creating efficient and yet rapid inductive heating machines for aluminum billets that dramatically improves throughput of Al profile-making factories. This technology is one of the first examples that has already reached commercialization stage.
Another example of superconducting magnet use is for ore separation. Many ores consist of mixture of minerals with different magnetic properties and such ores can be cost-effectively separated by magnetic field. This technology is now in development stage with several prototypes built around the world. Finally, there have been several projects of using HTS busbars to transport electrical current in electrolysis plants. In this case, superconductor option drastically reduces losses and Joule heat generation, as well enables smaller installations with less capital cost.
What's holding us back?
The scope of industrial applications for superconductors is very broad and definitely each particular case has its own peculiarities. There’s may be one general remark based on typical industry’s requirement for continuous failure-free operation and quick maintenance. Producers of industrial superconductor equipment will need to reach this level of maturity in order to be successful.