Highlights

• China published the world's first strategic roadmap for high-temperature superconducting (HTS) REBCO tapes.
• The roadmap identifies ten critical bottlenecks for large-scale deployment in energy, defense, and manufacturing.
• REBCO superconductors operate above liquid nitrogen temperature (-196°C), reducing cooling costs significantly.
• This technology enables applications in fusion reactors, power grids, MRI systems, and high-field magnets.
• The roadmap signals China's coordinated push to industrialize superconducting technology.
• This initiative could accelerate China's position in fusion energy hardware and advanced grid infrastructure.
• China's efforts contrast with fragmented Western efforts in the same field.

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China has released what it calls the world’s first strategic roadmap focused specifically on high-temperature superconducting (HTS) tape development, a move that signals growing ambition to industrialize a technology with potentially transformative implications for energy, defense, and advanced manufacturing.

On January 26, researchers at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (opens in a new tab) published (opens in a new tab) the 2025 Strategic Research Report on REBCO High-Temperature Superconducting Tapes. The report surveys global R&D, manufacturing readiness, and application status for rare-earth barium copper oxide (REBCO) superconducting tapes and, for the first time, distills ten critical scientific and engineering bottlenecks that must be solved to enable large-scale deployment.

Superconductors—materials with zero electrical resistance and perfect diamagnetism—are widely viewed as strategically important for next-generation power grids, fusion energy, medical imaging, high-field magnets, and advanced motors. Historically, their adoption has been limited because conventional superconductors require cooling to near absolute zero using liquid helium, a costly and scarce resource.

REBCO materials change that equation. They operate above (−196°C), dramatically reducing cooling costs, while maintaining strong current-carrying capacity under intense magnetic fields. Since commercial production began in 2006, REBCO tapes have shown promise in fusion reactors, MRI systems, scientific research magnets, superconducting power cables, fault-current limiters, and high-performance electric motors.

The report emphasizes two primary application domains:

• Power systems, where superconducting cables enable high-capacity, low-loss transmission in dense urban grids, and fault-current limiters improve grid stability.

• Magnet systems, including fusion devices and high-field MRI, which demand exceptional mechanical strength, fatigue resistance, and long-term operational stability.

EarlyDays Still

Despite early commercialization, the authors argue that REBCO technology remains far from mature. The tapes are complex multilayer composites, and progress now depends on coordinated advances in materials science, manufacturing processes, and application-specific design. Key challenges include improving current performance in magnetic fields, balancing strength and flexibility, strengthening layer-to-layer interfaces, and developing low-cost, high-consistency, scalable manufacturing methods.

Why this matters for the U.S. and Europe

This is not a product launch, but a strategic signaling document. By formally mapping the path from “usable” to “reliably scalable,” China is aligning national research priorities with long-term industrial and infrastructure goals—areas where Western HTS development remains fragmented across labs, startups, and pilot projects.

If executed effectively, the roadmap could accelerate China’s position in fusion energy hardware, advanced grid infrastructure, and superconducting machinery, with downstream implications for energy security and high-end manufacturing competitiveness.

Disclaimer: This news item originates from media affiliated with Chinese state-owned institutions. Technical claims, strategic interpretations, and development timelines should be independently verified through peer-reviewed publications, international benchmarks, and third-party industrial disclosures before being relied upon for investment, policy, or procurement decisions.