Tri Star Metals, LLC, a U.S.-based stainless and nickel alloy mill and distributor, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Siri Wire, which is based in Danielson, Connecticut.

A press release said that Siri Wire, a well-established regional stainless and nickel alloy re-draw mill with strong distribution capabilities, will continue to operate as an independent mill and distributor, led by Bryan and David Hitchcock. Bryan Hitchcock will remain president of Siri Wire and will join the Tri Star Metals Executive Committee.

The addition of Siri Wire will expand the capabilities of Tri Star Metals’ metallurgical, engineering, production, and IT teams, both for operational efficiencies and innovation. Both Siri Wire and Tri Star Metals will benefit from an expanded portfolio of products and sizes, leveraging each company’s manufacturing strengths. Further, significant capital expenditures will be allocated to implement advanced efficiencies and technologies developed at Tri Star Metals, improving product quality and performance. “This acquisition continues the tradition of integrating family-run businesses into the Bender Wire Group.”

“We are very pleased to welcome the Siri Wire team into our family,” said Jay Mandel, President and CEO of Tri Star Metals. “This strategic combination of manufacturing and distribution within the U.S. will enable us to better serve both TSM and Siri Wire’s customers. We have known the Hitchcock family for over 20 years and have always been impressed with their leadership and stewardship of Siri Wire.”

“Both my father and I are excited to join Tri Star Metals and the Bender Wire Group,” said Bryan Hitchcock, President of Siri Wire. “This partnership allows us to offer greater engineering and metallurgical support to our customers while expanding our product offerings throughout the region. Additionally, we look forward to growing our manufacturing operations and providing more opportunities for our dedicated workforce.”

“We are excited to welcome the team from Siri Wire into the Bender Wire Group,” said Ingo Bender, CEO of Bender Wire Group. “The American market has been an important part of our long-term global strategy to establish superior manufacturing and distribution capabilities near the core markets they serve.”

LS Eco Energy, a Vietnam-based cable manufacturer under Korea’s LS Cable & System, announced that it will supply power cables for a $150 million wind farm project in the Philippines.

Per a report in The Korea Herald and other publications, the company’s Vietnamese subsidiary, LS-VINA, will supply medium- and low-voltage cables for the Kalayaan 2 wind farm, a 100-megawatt project located in Laguna province, about 100 m southeast of Manila. Scheduled for completion in 2026, the wind farm is expected to provide clean energy to up to 85,000 households.

“As the Philippine government aims to raise its renewable energy share to 50 percent by 2040, large-scale solar and wind projects are actively underway, with increasing involvement from private businesses,” said an LS official.

As the largest power cable manufacturer in Vietnam, LS Eco Energy is accelerating its expansion beyond national borders. In early March, the company secured a contract to supply power cables for the Philippines’ largest internet data center, the STT Fairview Campus.

It is also in negotiations for a cross-border renewable energy project that will supply Singapore with energy generated in other Southeast Asian nations, the company said. Citing growing regional demand for power infrastructure fueled by renewable energy development, LS Eco Energy plans to actively expand its involvement in major clean energy projects across Southeast Asia.

Nexans, a global leader in the design and manufacturing of cable systems and services, has secured a major framework agreement with RTE (Réseau de Transport d’Electricité), France’s Transmission System Operator, that calls for the supply, installation, and commissioning of some 730 km of HVDC cable.

A press release said that the project will require 450 km of subsea cables and 280 km of onshore cables to support the connection of three offshore wind farms: the Center Manche 1 & 2 and Oléron, to the French transmission network. The value of the agreement was said to top

€1 billion, depending on the final quantities to be agreed upon and the subcontractors to be appointed during the next phase leading to the signature of each EPCI contract.

This landmark agreement with RTE reinforces Nexans’ role in the energy transition in Europe, said Nexans CEO Christopher Guérin. “By delivering state-of-the-art transmission solutions, we are not only supporting France’s ambitious offshore wind targets but also strengthening the resilience and sustainability of the power grid.”

In other news, Nexans reported that the company will participate as a partner in the Shift2DC project, a winner of the Horizon Europe program for research and innovation.

The Shift2Dc project aims to accelerate the adoption of Direct Current (DC) technology in both medium- and low-voltage electrical systems. By enhancing efficiency and sustainability, the initiative seeks to modernize energy distribution while ensuring the reliability of key components, such as cables, converters, micro-converters, measurement devices, and switching equipment.

Nexans’ participation in the Shift2DC project represents a major opportunity to develop cables suited for DC installations, particularly for future buildings. These solutions will incorporate advanced functionalities to ensure safety and optimal interaction with the grid.

Through R&D and pilot project experiments, Nexans is committed to designing high-performance, sustainable DC cables. This development relies on a strategic selection of polymers and formulations, optimized transit capacity management, and an eco-design approach considering conductor selection, product size, and recyclability. The objective is to optimize cable lifecycle while integrating innovations that facilitate installation and rapid on-site connections.

The first prototypes, intended for qualification phases, will be produced at the Grimsås pilot plant in Sweden. Nexans will assess the performance of the new DC cables, followed by real-world testing in pilot projects.

Norwegian aluminum producer Nork Hydro ASA (Hydro) announced that it plans to invest approximately $156 million in a new facility at its aluminum smelter in Karmoy, Norway, to supply aluminum wire for power cables in Europe.

A wire story said that the new wire rod casthouse in Karmoy will have a capacity of 110,000 metric tons per year, Hydro said in a statement. “By expanding the capacity to deliver low-carbon aluminum from Norway to the EU, we help ensure that the infrastructure, the very backbone of the future energy system, supports both Europe’s security and climate policy goals,” Hydro CEO Eivind Kallevik said.

Per the company’s website, Hydro has operations in some 50 countries and accounts for 40% of the aluminum produced in Europe.

Twentsche Kabelfabriek BV (TKF) reports that it has signed a contract to supply Luxcara with the cable it needs for the Waterkant offshore wind farm in the German North Sea.

A press release from the Dutch company said that TKF will be responsible for the 66 kV inter-array aluminum core cables and accessories, totaling 130 km. The supply scope includes the engineering, manufacturing, testing, and delivery of the inter-array cables and corresponding accessories needed for Waterkant offshore installations and Amprion’s converter platform.

The subsea cables will be produced in TKF’s carbon-neutral factory in Eemshaven, the Netherlands. The Waterkant offshore wind farm will be built on site N-6.7, located in the German Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ). The site is located next to a cluster of existing offshore wind farms approximately 90 km from the island of Borkum.

Luxcara, described as an independent German asset manager for clean energy infrastructure projects, has chosen 16 of the world’s most powerful offshore wind turbines. The maker, Ming Yang Smart Energy, notes that each turbine to be installed will have 18.5 MW capacity.