A new Italian technology project aims to solve one of artificial intelligence's biggest infrastructure challenges: delivering massive amounts of electrical power to data centers without wasting energy in transmission. The SURE project, a collaboration between Italy's National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) and ASG Superconductors, is developing a magnesium diboride (MgB₂) superconducting cable designed to power next-generation data centers with unprecedented efficiency.

The challenge is real and urgent. AI applications demand exponentially more computing power than traditional workloads, which means data centers need far more electricity. But traditional copper cables lose energy as heat during transmission, wasting power and requiring expensive cooling systems. The SURE project addresses this by using superconducting cables that operate at near-zero electrical resistance, eliminating transmission losses entirely.

How Does Superconducting Cable Technology Work for Data Centers?

Superconducting cables operate at extremely cold temperatures where certain materials lose all electrical resistance. The SURE project uses magnesium diboride, a material discovered in 2001 that operates at around 20 kelvin (minus 253 degrees Celsius). This is significantly warmer than the liquid helium temperatures required by superconductors used in particle accelerators, which operate at around 2 kelvin.

The practical advantage is substantial. Because magnesium diboride requires less extreme cooling, the project can use closed-cycle cryogenic systems already widely deployed in industrial applications. This reduces cooling costs by more than tenfold compared to traditional superconductor approaches, making the technology economically viable for continuous operation in data center power infrastructure.

What Makes This Cable Different From Traditional Power Lines?

• Energy Capacity: The superconducting cable can transport up to 10 times more energy with the same physical footprint as conventional cables, dramatically increasing power density in data halls.
• Zero Transmission Loss: Unlike traditional cables that dissipate energy as heat, superconducting cables operate at practically zero electrical resistance, eliminating power waste during transmission.
• Space Efficiency: The higher power density allows data centers to reduce their footprint by up to a factor of 10, opening possibilities for building facilities in densely urbanized areas where traditional infrastructure constraints make expansion difficult.
• Supply Chain Advantage: The magnesium diboride superconductor is developed and produced entirely in Italy without requiring rare earth elements, creating a short, domestically controlled supply chain.

The SURE project is funded by Italy's Ministry of University and Research through the Italian Fund for Applied Sciences (FISA), with total funding of 5.8 million euros over five years, with expected completion in 2031. The initiative builds on earlier research from the IRIS project, which is developing a prototype 1-gigawatt superconducting cable for large-scale electrical power transmission.

"SURE is a virtuous example of technology transfer from research to industry. The technologies developed by INFN for frontier physics are now finding a new application in a strategic sector such as data centres, whose energy needs are set to grow with the development of artificial intelligence and high-performance computing," stated Antonio Zoccoli, President of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics.

Antonio Zoccoli, President of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics

The pilot installation will power a new data center at INFN's Frascati National Laboratory, built with funding allocated to the National Research Centre in HPC, big data, and quantum computing (ICSC). This real-world test site will demonstrate whether superconducting cable technology can reliably power the servers, storage systems, and high-capacity networks that support AI applications.

Why Does This Matter for Data Center Economics?

Today, data center operators face a recurring infrastructure problem. As AI computing demands grow, they must repeatedly upgrade electrical systems to handle increased power consumption. A superconducting power supply network designed with excess capacity could reduce these costly interventions, increasing infrastructure flexibility and improving long-term sustainability.

"The SURE project brings the application of superconducting cables to data centres closer, a sector linked to Artificial Intelligence with exponentially growing demand for electrical energy. This innovation makes it possible to transport up to ten times more energy, with the same dimensions, compared with traditional cable technologies," noted Marco Nassi, Chief Executive Officer of ASG Superconductors.

Marco Nassi, Chief Executive Officer of ASG Superconductors

The broader context involves materials science innovation across the entire AI infrastructure ecosystem. As data centers shift to higher-voltage architectures and greater power density, advanced materials are becoming critical enablers of performance and reliability. Innovations in cooling fluids, thermal management systems, and electrical components are being adapted from other industries, such as electric vehicles, to meet the extreme demands of hyperscale AI infrastructure.

The development of superconducting cables also reflects a shift in how performance is defined in infrastructure technology. Beyond raw technical capability, manufacturers and researchers increasingly prioritize sustainable production methods and responsible supply chains. The magnesium diboride cable developed in Italy avoids rare earth elements and uses a fluorosurfactant-free manufacturing process, demonstrating that performance and environmental responsibility can advance together.

As artificial intelligence continues to push the physical limits of data center infrastructure, innovations like the SURE project suggest that the next frontier of competitive advantage may lie not in computing power alone, but in the foundational materials and systems that make that power delivery possible, efficient, and sustainable.