ABSTRACT
The most important contribution of superconductivity to the global sustainable development is its clean energy-saving feature. Superconducting materials exhibit zero resistivity, which enables the storage of the energy in the form of electric persistent currents known as SMES (superconducting magnetic energy storage). The employment of superconducting materials for transmission cables has attracted interests of many people. However, the critical temperatures stayed extremely low until 1986. The cost for cooling with liquid helium made it difficult to bring the superconducting cables into a real market. With the discovery of high-temperature superconductors (HTS) (Y-Ba-Cu-O, Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O) with Tc above the boiling point of liquid nitrogen, electric power companies showed strong interests in the development of practical superconducting cables worldwide. The chapter offers strongest possible encouragement to students and young scientists who are considering a technical career to pursue options within the general area of superconductivity.
