this post was submitted on 11 Sep 2025
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If my very loose math on your loose math is accurate, current superconductor wackiness levels (best available critical current density) would take that down to 40 square meters, so 6 meters a side, which would still be quite a lot. Eyeballing the current standard for big plants, looks like they're using like forearm-length-wide tubular busbars, so this is quite a lot more massive. But there's also the possibility of transformer magic happening to reduce that amperage.
40 square meters of YBCO sounds even more daunting than 4000 square meters of copper in some ways. Might have to ask them kindly generator aliens for some better superconductors while they're at it.