- HTS cables transmit electricity with almost zero resistance through liquid nitrogen cooling
- Unlike copper, superconductors do not generate heat or require multiple conductors
- Veir demonstrated three megawatts of power in a simulated data center environment
Microsoft says it has invested in high-temperature superconducting (HTS) technology through its partnership with Veir, a company that develops HTS data center power systems.
HTS cables are designed to transmit electricity with almost zero resistance through the use of liquid nitrogen cooling, which eliminates almost all energy loss.
Unlike copper or aluminum conductors, these superconductors do not generate heat and take up less physical space.
How HTS cables are different from traditional conductors
Microsoft says it is exploring HTS technology to improve data center energy efficiency, reduce transmission losses, and improve operational sustainability across its facilities.
Veir’s first demonstration of its HTS system occurred in November 2025, successfully delivering three megawatts of power over a single cable in a simulated environment.
To put it into perspective, an aluminum or copper conductor would produce approximately 150 to 200 kW of resistive heat and would require several parallel cables to safely transmit three megawatts of power.
While this demonstration represents a technical milestone, its scale is limited and does not reflect real-world implementation.
Veir plans to move toward commercialization in 2026, but no timeline has been given for operational use by Microsoft, in part because the high cost of superconducting materials and the challenge of cooling HTS lines remain major obstacles.
Even at grid scale, HTS implementation is typically more expensive than conventional solutions when cooling requirements, supply constraints, and voltage limitations are taken into account.
However, Microsoft suggests that HTS technology could enable denser power delivery without expanding substations or adding additional feeders.
Traditional constraints require operators to choose between expanding facilities, reducing deployment density, or maintaining current operating limits.
HTS cables could, in theory, eliminate this trade-off and allow for more compact, energy-efficient systems.
The company emphasizes potential improvements in operational sustainability and reducing impact on local communities, although no specific metrics or timelines have been provided.
Despite Microsoft’s optimism, HTS technology is still largely experimental and in its early stages, although the company admitted in a blog post that the technology is not new.
“HTS remains in the development and evaluation stage for adoption at Microsoft scale. At this time, the focus is on testing, validating and building trust in the technology with partners,” Microsoft said. The Registry.
“The work underway now is to understand where HTS might make sense and we are excited about the potential we are seeing.”
Material availability, cost and engineering challenges mean practical implementation is still years away.
The company’s current announcements primarily serve to show interest in the technology rather than signal impending operational changes.
Even with progress, data center operators will continue to rely on conventional copper and aluminum cabling while high-temperature superconducting systems are perfected.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
