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New Southwire rod plant in ready stage

As part of a more than $1 billion modernization commitment across its footprint, Southwire reports that its state-of-the art rod plant in Carrollton, Georgia, will have been completed by the end of 2022, with a grand opening to be held in early 2023.

A press release said that the new plant, which replaces a 40-year-old facility, will increase copper rod production by at least 10%. “Our goal as a company is to be generationally sustainable, and the construction of this plant is a key milestone on that journey. This is a significant investment in our future,” said Southwire President and CEO Rich Stinson. “We are proud of our industry-leading influence, and this new facility will set a higher global standard for sustainability and efficiency in rod manufacturing. It’s a great time to be in the electrical industry and an even better time to be at Southwire.”

In 1963, the company patented Southwire Continuous Rod (SCR®) technology, which transformed the wire and cable industry. More than half of all copper rod in the world has passed through a SCR system in some capacity. The new rod plant will produce more copper rod than any other SCR system, while encompassing a smaller environmental footprint.

As the company continues its focus on sustainability, Southwire is partnering with Carroll EMC to use all renewable electricity for the facility. Southwire will work to not just meet, but exceed, state air quality requirements through its focus on air emissions controls, including the installation of a “wet scrubber” system. The facility will also continue to capture 100 percent of the stormwater runoff for reuse in the company’s manufacturing processes.

 “Our team is thrilled to evolve the modern assets and technology that have made Southwire an industry leader while, at the same time, advance our values of empowerment, trust, consistency and inclusion,” said Senior Vice President of Modernization Will Berry. “This new plant illustrates our long-standing commitment to sustainable growth.”

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Last modified on January 10, 2023

Cuba turns to Orange for subsea cable project to connect it with Martinique

Cuba has contracted with France’s Orange, asking the French telecom to build an underwater cable that will link it to the island of Martinique.

Per multiple media reports, the news came about a week after the Biden administration recommended that U.S. regulators deny a request by submarine cable operator ARCOS-1 to connect Cuba to the United States through a new undersea cable landing station.

The objection from the U.S. was based on concerns that the cable-landing system in Cuba would be owned and controlled by Cuba’s state-owned telecom monopoly, Empresa de Telecommunicaciones de Cuba S.A. (ETECSA). The proposal would have created the only direct, commercial undersea cable connection between the U.S. and Cuba.

No details were released about the cost or capacity of the cable, which is to be supplied by Alcatel Submarine ETECSA. President Tania Velazquez said that work had begun on the project. “Today the official act was held to begin the technical work of installing the new submarine cable, the joint work of ETECSA and Orange, which will allow the diversification of Internet connection routes in Cuba,” he said on Twitter.

The sole undersea telecom that Cuba has is to Venezuela, part of ALBA-1, an 8,400-km fiber-optic cable system that was launched in 2001. ALBA-1 extends between the United States, the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Curaçao, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize and Mexico.

Per Wikipedia, ETECSA is the sole lawful provider of telephony and communications services in Cuba, in essence, a communications state monopoly that has some eight million clients, both national and foreign.

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Last modified on January 10, 2023

Sweden’s Alleima reports order for ultra-fine wire from its medical segment

Alleima has received an order for ultra-fine wire in the company’s medical customer segment, worth approximately $33.5 million.

A press release said that the order was booked in the fourth quarter of 2022, with deliveries scheduled to ramp throughout 2023. The order will be reported in the company’s Kanthal division.

“Growing the Medical segment is one of the cornerstones in our strategy for profitable growth,” said Alleima President and CEO Göran Björkman. “With this order, we are taking an important step in adding to our addressable market by accessing a number of new patient applications.”

Gary Davies, head of the medical business unit in the Kanthal division, said that the wire will be used for the remote monitoring of patients, a fast-growing market. The order “is a result of the commercialization of a new product, with leading edge technology and high accuracy.”

Alleima, formerly Sandvik Materials Technology, is a global manufacturer of high value-added products in advanced stainless steels and special alloys as well as solutions for industrial heating. It has more than 5,500 employees and customers in approximately 90 countries.

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Last modified on January 10, 2023

Breischaft to lead the Wire Association International in 2023

Madison, Connecticut, USA. The Wire Association International (WAI), Inc. announces the appointment of Kurt F. Breischaft as the 70th president of the association for a one-year term that commences on Jan. 1, 2023. Breischaft will chair the Board of Directors of the 93-year-old association, which is headquartered in Madison, Connecticut, USA.
Breischaft has more than 30 years’ experience in the copper industry. He is president of SDI LaFarga COPPERWORKS, a copper rod and wire mill in New Haven, Indiana, a post he has held since November 2013. Prior to that Breischaft held roles of increasing importance including vice president and general manager of Cerro Plumbing, a Marmon Group/Berkshire Hathaway Company; plant manager for Belden Americas - Nogales, Mexico and Belden/Thermax; and positions as process engineer, engineering manager, plant manager, and manufacturing manager at the Essex Group, Inc./Superior Essex.

An active WAI member since 2000, Breischaft received its 2006 Wire Link Scholarship. His valuable contributions through volunteer leadership within the association include serving two terms on WAI’s Board of Directors; participation on WAI’s Executive and Oversight Committees; chair of its Member Relations Committee; and Executive Committee Liaisonship to its Finance, Memorial Awards, and Education Committees. In addition to his role as 2023 WAI president, Breischaft will serve as Co-Chair of its Conference Programming Committee, Chair of its Oversight Committee, and Executive Committee Liaison to its Education Committee.

Commenting on this new appointment, Breischaft said, “I look forward to advancing the latest WAI education initiative, developing multimedia training modules, and building on WAI’s legacy products such as handbooks. This will be a crucial step for the next generation of industry engineers and operators.”

Breischaft holds a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, Indiana, USA, and an M.B.A. degree from Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion, Indiana, USA.

The Wire Association International, Inc. is governed by a network of volunteers from around the globe. Joining Breischaft for the 2023 term are members of the association’s 2023 Executive Committee: First Vice President Daniel Blais, Prysmian Group; Second Vice President Eric Bieberich, Fort Wayne Wire Die; David Fisher,
James Monroe Wire & Cable Corp.; and Immediate Past President James R. York, Insteel Industries, Inc.

SDI LaFarga COPPERWORKS is a joint venture between Steel Dynamics, Inc. and the La Farga Group. The company is driven by a team of just over 120 employees and utilizes a patented advanced refining process that melts environmentally friendly material as well as established shaft furnace technology. Both processes yield a high purity cast and rolled 8 mm copper rod product. Steel Dynamics Inc., headquartered in Fort Wayne, IN, is a member of the S&P 500 and is one of the largest metals recyclers and metals producers in North America. La Farga Group, headquartered in Barcelona, Spain., has been has providing copper recycling solutions since 1808.

WAI, founded in 1930, is a not-for-profit association with more than 2000 individual members in 50 countries. The association serves the educational needs of the wire and cable manufacturing industry through a variety of products and services. WAI manages the Interwire Trade Exhibition and the WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo and publishes the Wire Journal International and the Wire Journal International Reference Guide.

Media Contacts: Janice E. Swindells, Director Marketing & Corporate Communications, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Tel.: 001-203-453-2777, x. 117; Steven J. Fetteroll, Executive Director, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Tel.: 001-203-453-1777.

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Last modified on December 29, 2022

NKT wins cable contract for Canadian transmission line from Hydro Quebec

NKT has signed a contract to supply the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) onshore power cable system for the Hertel-New York project, which is the Canadian transmission line in the U.S. that will connect to the Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) transmission line.

A press release said that NKT will design and manufacture a 2 x 60 km 400 kV HVDC onshore cable system that has an estimated value of €90 million. The power cables will be produced in Karlskrona, Sweden, and are expected to be delivered in 2024.

As a part of the overall transmission of sustainable hydropower from Canada to New York City, Hertel-New York will facilitate the onshore power transmission from the Hertel substation in Quebec, Canada, to the submarine section that continues to the U.S. border, where it connects to the CHPE transmission line. Once completed, the transmission line, one of the largest infrastructure investments in the history of New York, will help the state meet its goals of having 70% of power generation and consumption come from renewable energy sources by 2030.

“I am very satisfied that we have been awarded the contract for Hertel-New York which further cements our position as a key partner in ensuring the transmission of renewable power to New York,” said NKT President & CEO Alexander Kara. “This is a key project for NKT, and we are looking forward to close collaboration with Hydro-Québec. We aspire to continue to expand our market presence in Canada and the U.S. where we expect the green transition to create additional growth opportunities.”

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Last modified on December 5, 2022

Prysmian wins Saudi power cable contract

Italy's Prysmian has won a €60 million contract for laying submarine cables as part of the strategic HVDC transmission system for the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA) Lightning Project in the UAE.

A press release said that Prysmian secured a deal for the supply of power cables worth around €220 million in January. The contract was awarded under a limited notice to proceed by Samsung C&T as part of its EPC consortium with Jan De Nul, with an option open for an installation agreement. The project is set for completion in 2025.

ADNOC and TAQA announced the successful financial closure of their $3.8bn project to power and significantly decarbonize ADNOC’s offshore production operations in September. The main purpose of the new HVDC link is to replace ADNOC’s current offshore power with a renewable onshore power source, reducing its environmental impact and CO2 emissions.

Under the ADNOC Lightning Project, Prysmian will design, supply, assemble and test a symmetrical monopole system consisting of four HVDC 320 kV single-core cables with XLPE insulation, along with fiber optic cable systems, that will connect the Al Mirfa onshore converter station to Al Ghallan, an artificial offshore island in the Arabian Gulf, located off the Abu Dhabi coast.

The project comprises both a subsea route of approximately 134 km of submarine HVDC cables, and onshore routes located at Al Mirfa and Al Ghallan Island, totaling approximately 3.5 km of HVDC land cable route. Offshore installation operations will be performed by Prysmian’s Leonardo da Vinci, with the shallow water activities being performed by the cable-laying barge Ulisse.

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Last modified on December 5, 2022

wire China rescheduled again due to Covid, event to be held in 2023 at original venue

Covid has continued to make planning difficult in China, where the organizers of wire China 2022 announced that the event—rescheduled several times, with a new location—will be held sometime in 2023 at the original site.

A press release said that the organizers—Messe Düsseldorf (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., and Shanghai Electric Cable Research Institute Co.—have decided not to stage wire China this year after considering the still existing Covid-19 restrictions. The event has been originally scheduled for Sept. 26-29, 2022, at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). It was twice rescheduled to a new site—the Nanjing International Expo Center—but will now return to the SNIEC.

For further details on registration, look for updates at the event website: www.wirechina.net.

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Last modified on December 5, 2022

JDR gets order for 125 km of cable, sees construction begin for new cable plant

JDR Cable Systems (JDR) announced signing a substantial subsea cable contract as well as the official beginning of construction of its new U.K. cable plant in in Cambois, near Blyth, Northumberland.

A press release said that the project—previously announced but now finalized with a signed contract—is for inter-array cables (IAC) for the Moray West Offshore Wind Farm, which is part of the Ocean Winds portfolio of U.K. projects. The cable will be manufactured at JDR’s Hartlepool facility.

The IACs will connect the wind turbines back to the offshore substation platforms (OSP) before exporting the power back to the onshore connection point at Blackhillock near Keith. The deal also includes an interconnector cable that will be buried in the seabed to connect the two OSPs. JDR will provide about 125 km of 66 kV subsea cables that will be installed by Seaway 7 ASA.

“Moray West has an essential role to play in the energy transition and as a U.K. manufacturer we are delighted to have won this contract to support the U.K. energy market,” said JDR Sales Director John Price, who noted that there were logistical advantages. “Transporting a cable of this size from overseas would have had large environmental and commercial costs involved.”

The release said that the latest contract confirms the need for JDR to open a new subsea cable manufacturing facility in Cambois, near Blyth, Northumberland. It is part of JDR’s plans to expand its product portfolio to support the growing global renewable energy market, adding high voltage export and long-length array cables to its existing capacity and product capabilities.

JDR’s 69,000-sq-m factory is expected to be operational by 2024. The £130 million project will deliver vital subsea cable manufacturing technology to the offshore wind market. The facility, to include a CCV line, will bet the only facility in the U.K. capable of full start-to-finish manufacturing of high voltage subsea cables for offshore wind farms to support the growing global renewable energy market.

“We’re delighted to be starting construction, it’s taken a lot of hard work from all stakeholders for spades to finally hit the ground today,” said JDR CEO Tomasz Nowak. “This region and the east coast of the U.K. has plans to connect an incredible amount of energy infrastructure in the coming years and we’re proud to be contributing to it in the midst of a growing offshore energy sector.

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Nexans reports it will acquire Reka Cable

Nexans SA announced that it has entered into a share purchase agreement with Reka Industrial Plc to acquire Reka Cables for €53 million.

A press release said that the acquisition of the Finnish company will strengthen Nexans’ position in the Nordics, notably in electricity distribution and usages. Founded in 1961, Reka Cables has some 270 employees that manufacture low- and medium-voltages cables.

Reka Cables operates in four countries and was said to have expected 2022 revenues exceeding €160 million. The deal, pending approvals, is expected to be concluded in the first half of 2023. In November 2021, it became one of the first cable manufacturers to become carbon neutral per Scope 1 and Scope 2.

“With a deep commitment to energy transition and carbon neutrality, Reka Cables is fully aligned with the Group’s strategic ambition to become a pure electrification player committed to contribute to carbon neutrality by 2030,” said Nexans CEO Christopher Guérin.

“As a global player in electrification and an active promoter of the energy transition, Nexans is a great fit for Reka Cables,” said Reka Cables CEO Jukka Poutanen.

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Last modified on December 5, 2022

Hengtong reports Thailand cable project

Hengtong, one of China’s largest cable manufacturers, reports that it has been awarded a contract to supply for the Koh Tao 33 kV Submarine Cable Project in Thailand.

Per the announcement, the order from Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) represents one of the largest submarine cable projects in Thailand. A prior report posted at thailand-construction.com said that the project includes a stretch from Koh Phangan to Koh Tao, a distance of 45 circuit km, and that the power supply system will have a distance of 21 km with two automatic voltage regulators.

The project will provide a continuous reliable and clean power supply to Koh Tao, significantly benefiting its residents, enhancing local tourism and the economy. “It is another breakthrough in the market of South East Asia. We are committed to have a long-term cooperation with local partners and clients,” said Joe Sheng, vice president of Hengtong in the APEC region.

In other news, Hengtong reports that it has delivered 275 km of high-voltage cable for the 900 MW Dubai PV project phase B. The project is the largest PV Power Plant Project under construction in Dubai, using advanced solar power generation technology.

Located in Dubai Maktoum Solar Park and divided into phases A, B and C, the project officially started in July 2020 with a targeted installed capacity of 1,050 MW in total. Once completed, it will become the most advanced demonstration of solar power generation in the UAE, supplying 2.268 billion kWh electricity to 270,000 buildings annually, reducing carbon emissions by 1.1 million tons per year.

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Last modified on December 5, 2022

Parent company of Viakable has completed sale of cable-maker Centelsa to Nexans

Earlier this year, Mexico’s Xignux SA completed the sale of Centelsa, a cable producer in Latin America, to Nexans SA.

A press release said that Centelsa, which manufactures cables for energy and communications, has been part of the industry since 1955. The company was three plants in Cali, Colombia, and a distribution center in Ecuador. Those operations will bolster the presence of Nexans in Latin America, where the company has four industrial plants in Colombia, Peru, Chile and Brazil.

Commented Sergio Valdés, general director of Viakable, a Xignux company, “In our history together with the Centelsa team we have achieved great achievements. ... I am convinced that, together with Nexans, the Centelsa team will continue to be a key player in the industry, offering growth to its collaborators and clients.”

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Last modified on December 5, 2022

Rebranded Huawei Marine Networks to supply the cable for Asia Link Cable System

A $300 million consortium-led subsea cable, Asia Link Cable System (ALC), has been announced that calls for 6,000 km of cabling to connect Hong Kong SAR and Singapore, with branches to the Philippines, Brunei and Hainan, China.

A press release said that the project supplier for the optical fiber cable will be HMN Technologies (HMN Tech), which is the rebranded name of Huawei Marine Networks. The project—to boost data capacity in the region and upgrade local capacities—will deploy a minimum of eight fiber pairs, with 18 Tbps per fiber pair minimum trunk design capacity. The system will have an open cable system architecture, enabling all parties to select and maintain independent line terminal equipment in line with their specific customer requirements. It is scheduled to be completed in 2025.

“ALC is a great accomplishment of Asian carriers which overcame difficulties of Covid impacts, and it is also the only subsea project with zero face-to-face meetings from the memorandum of understanding to the construction and maintenance agreement signing in the industry,” said Chang Weiguo, co-chair of ALC.

The consortium, co-led by Singtel and China Telecom Global Limited, also includes China Telecommunications Corporation, Globe Telecom and DITO Telecommunity Corporation and Unified National Networks.

“We started planning and designing the ALC cable more than two years ago at the onset of the pandemic, having anticipated the inevitable growth in high-definition content consumption, trade and innovation in this region,” said Alan Tan, co-chair, ALC (Singtel).

HMN Tech notes that it has deployed over 80,000 km of submarine network systems to date.

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Last modified on December 5, 2022

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