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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.

Last modified on December 5, 2022

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.”

Last modified on December 5, 2022

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.

Last modified on December 5, 2022

The Prysmian Group announced the company has settled proceedings for a patent infringement and invalidity in Germany with FiberHome Telecommunication Technologies Co., Ltd. (FiberHome), a Chinese equipment vendor and global solution provider that offers services in the field of information technology and telecom.

A press release said that Prysmian Group claimed that FiberHome products infringed the German designations of Prysmian’s European Patents EP 2390700 B1 and EP 1,668,392B1 for fiber optic cables. In response, FiberHome initiated nullity proceedings against the Patents before the German Federal Patent Court.

The European Patent EP ‘392 relates to telecom optical cables, and in particular to a telecom optical cable with a highly reduced diameter. The European Patent EP ‘700 relates to optical fiber telecom cables, particularly an optimized stranded optical cable design.

The proceedings were issued by Prysmian Group in July 2020 before the District Court of Munich. Following extensive discussions, the Prysmian Group and FiberHome reached a mutual agreement on terms in relation to product sales happened before the agreement date (whereas future product sales are not covered by the agreement). On the basis of a net balancing payment made by FiberHome to Prysmian, the ongoing proceedings (and any other potential past claims) under the related patent families in Germany, Spain, Poland and the Netherlands were settled.

Last modified on December 5, 2022

Finland’s Kuusakoski Oy announced that it is setting up a $7 million wire and cable recycling plant for “aluminum- and copper-containing materials” that will be completed next year in Heinola, Finland.

A press release said that the facility is part of Kuusakoski Oy’s multiyear investment program designed to increase capacity, enhance material yield and deliver cleaner recycled raw material products. “Our new copper center is unique in Finland,” said company President and CEO Mikko Kuusilehto. “With this investment, we are able to serve our customers more locally, which is not only more sustainable for the environment but also financially profitable—both for us and for our customers.”

Kuusakoski said that equipment at the new plant will be able to process copper- and aluminum-containing cables and separate the metals. The copper fraction will then be refined by Kuusakoski in Heinola and the aluminum fraction proceeds to a separate smelter. Until now, the company has only had a similar operation in neighboring Sweden.

The facility will have a precrushing line and a separation line. In the precrushing line, the material is crushed and separated using magnetic separators and a windscreen. In the separation line, the remaining material is granulated into small particles to enable separation. With a production capacity of about 2.5 tons per hour, about 40 tons of copper can be produced per week at the plant, the company estimates.

Kuusakoski said the chopping line will help improve the competitiveness of its Heinola plant, which it calls the largest integrated recycling plant in Northern Europe.

Last modified on December 5, 2022

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo) has been awarded a contract from the Prysmian Group to supply 150 km of HVDC submarine cable for the NeuConnect Interconnector, a 1.4 GW power interconnection project between the U.K. and Germany.

A press release said that Sumitomo will supply a section of HVDC mass-impregnated cable to Prysmian PowerLink Services, Ltd., which secured the main contract with NeuConnect. The overall project—that will directly link the German and U.K. electricity grids for the first time— calls for some 725 km of land and subsea cables. They will enable up to 1.4 GW of electricity to move in either direction, enough to power up to 1.5 million homes over the life of the project.

The submarine cable, which forms part of the offshore cable route between the two countries, will be manufactured at Sumitomo’s Osaka Works in Japan. The order represents Sumitomo’s sixth European HVDC power link project after MON. ITA (Montenegro-Italy), NEMO (UK-Belgium), A-Nord HVDC project (Germany), Kontek (Germany-Denmark) and Greenlink (Ireland-GB).

“We are honored to be the supplier for this project, which will form part of critical infrastructures to achieve net-zero emissions,” said Sumitomo Managing Executive Officer Yasuyuki Shibata.

The NeuConnect Interconnector is a private project by international investors, including Meridiam, Allianz Capital Partners and Kansai Electric Power.

Last modified on December 5, 2022

South Korea’s LS Cable & System (LS C&S) has won an order valued at $167 million to supply high-voltage, direct current (HVDC) cables for the Norfolk Boreas Offshore Wind Farm in the U.K.

A press release said the LS C&S order is from Sweden’s Vattenfall AB, which is one of Europe’s largest producers and retailers of electricity and heat. The order calls for 320 kV cables that will lie under the sea. The underground cables will use cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) as an insulating material, which it described as a first.

Per multiple media reports, the Norfolk Boreas offshore cable corridor, using about 96 km, will include export cables to deliver the electricity supplied to the offshore substations to landfall that will be in the Happisburgh village in Norfolk county. The onshore part of the offshore wind farm development will include the installation of underground cables between an onshore substation related to the project and an existing substation of the national grid. The onshore cable corridor is expected to be 63 km.

Located 47 km off the Norfolk coast, Norfolk Boreas is the first of two stages of Vattenfall’s Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone. Per DEME Offshore, which is part of the project consortium with LS C&S, they have also been named a preferred supplier for the second part: the Norfolk Vanguard. Each wind farm will have a capacity of 1.8 GW.

“Only a handful of firms have succeeded in developing XLPE cables defined by easy installation, connection, maintenance and repair,” an LS Cable & System official said. “The cables are increasingly emerging as a mainstream product in the renewable industries of Europe and North America.”

Last modified on December 5, 2022

Autac, a manufacturer of coiled cords founded by Robert N. Burkle in 1947, celebrated the company’s 75th anniversary with an event at Bill Miller’s Castle in Branford, Connecticut.

The event was hosted by company President Marie Burkle. “It is with a great sense of pride that we have come this far,” she told the audience of some 85 people, which included employees and their families/guests, suppliers, industry colleagues and state Senator Christine Cohen. “No business can make 75 years without relationships,” she said. For a business, that means employees, vendors and local community leaders. “All have helped us in different ways,” and that support enabled the company to survive and thrive.”

Burkle called up a number of employees to single them out for their contributions. Speaking later, she said, “It is a source of great pride for me, the last Burkle, to keep my father’s legacy going and certainly a reason to celebrate. The day was also an opportunity to give our staff the recognition they so deeply deserve.”

At the same time, Burkle shared different thoughts in her speech. She singled out some industry vendors, saying they could also be a company’s biggest liability. She cited the “80-20” rule, referring to the axiom that 80 percent of business often comes from 20 percent of customers.

In hard times, such as the last few Covid years, that has resulted in a much harder business atmosphere, Burkle said. “Our minimums increase, our prices go up, the lead times go out and payment terms become so unreasonable that it bankrupts many small businesses. How can one eat their young and hope to survive for more generations? I’ve never understood that.”

That assessment does not apply to all vendors, and Burkle thanked Mexichem for being a reliable business partner, presenting the company a plaque for their consistently good work.

Burkle said it was important for her to hold the event at Bill Miller’s Castle as the founder, the late Bill Miller, and her late father, were together in Rotary and the Chamber of Commerce back in the 60’s and 70’s. “Also, Bill Miller was a huge help and supporter of me when I served as president of the North Branford Chamber. He and that fabulous building have a special place in my heart!”

Last modified on December 5, 2022

Autac, a manufacturer of coiled cords founded by Robert N. Burkle in 1947, celebrated the company’s 75th anniversary with an event at Bill Miller’s Castle in Branford, Connecticut.

The event was hosted by company President Marie Burkle. “It is with a great sense of pride that we have come this far,” she told the audience of some 85 people, which included employees and their families/guests, suppliers, industry colleagues and state Senator Christine Cohen. “No business can make 75 years without relationships,” she said. For a business, that means employees, vendors and local community leaders. “All have helped us in different ways,” and that support enabled the company to survive and thrive.”

Burkle called up a number of employees to single them out for their contributions. Speaking later, she said, “It is a source of great pride for me, the last Burkle, to keep my father’s legacy going and certainly a reason to celebrate. The day was also an opportunity to give our staff the recognition they so deeply deserve.”

At the same time, Burkle shared different thoughts in her speech. She singled out some industry vendors, saying they could also be a company’s biggest liability. She cited the “80-20” rule, referring to the axiom that 80 percent of business often comes from 20 percent of customers.

In hard times, such as the last few Covid years, that has resulted in a much harder business atmosphere, Burkle said. “Our minimums increase, our prices go up, the lead times go out and payment terms become so unreasonable that it bankrupts many small businesses. How can one eat their young and hope to survive for more generations? I’ve never understood that.”

That assessment does not apply to all vendors, and Burkle thanked Mexichem for being a reliable business partner, presenting the company a plaque for their consistently good work.

Burkle said it was important for her to hold the event at Bill Miller’s Castle as the founder, the late Bill Miller, and her late father, were together in Rotary and the Chamber of Commerce back in the 60’s and 70’s. “Also, Bill Miller was a huge help and supporter of me when I served as president of the North Branford Chamber. He and that fabulous building have a special place in my heart!”

Last modified on December 5, 2022

The Ducab Group announced that it has been awarded the full EPC (engineering, procurement & contracting) contract to supply and install 400 kV cables and accessories to link Al Dhafra—which when operational will be the world’s largest solar plant in Abu Dhabi—with the Emirate’s main TRANSCO transmission grid (Abu Dhabi Transmission and Despatch Company) through its specialised division, Ducab HV.

A press release said that the announcement was made by Ducab Group CEO Mohammad Almutawa at the Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (WETEX). “We are proud that Ducab is assisting the nation in achieving its ‘Energy Strategy 2050’.” The collaborative project partnership includes testing and commissioning, and with the order, Ducab now supplies cables for the three largest solar projects in the UAE.

Ducab has supplied its custom-made SolarBICC cables to Abu Dhabi’s Shams 1 project and Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai, two of the largest solar projects in the world. “As a champion of the “Made in the UAE” initiative, Ducab not only supplies solutions to leading power projects in the UAE but also supports products and counterparts in auxiliary industries to deepen the country’s industrial capabilities,” the release said. Ducab works with partners across the UAE industrial value chain, such as EGA, KIZAD, and Borouge, while acquiring many of its requirements from UAE-based organizations.

The Al Dhafra project supports the country’s Energy Strategy 2050’s goals that seek to increase the contribution of clean energy in the total energy mix from 25% to 50% by 2050. The facility will deploy technologically advanced bifacial solar panels that deliver electricity at the highest efficiency levels by using both the front and back of panels. The facility will have a capacity of two gigawatts and supply power to Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC).
When fully operational, the release said, Al Dhafra will be the world’s largest single-site solar power plant, mitigating 2.4 million tonnes of CO2 annually and using 3.5 million solar panels to generate enough electricity for approximately 160,000 homes across the UAE.

Last modified on November 7, 2022

Hitachi Metals Limited (HML) has agreed to an acquisition offer—from a consortium led by Bain Capital, a private equity firm—that includes Hitachi Cable America (HCA).

A statement from HCA said that the Bain-led consortium “recognizes HML’s R&D leadership, deep relationships with industry-leading customers, and technological superiority in each of its business units. Bain plans to support the company by enhancing our competitiveness in high-growth sectors.” No plant closures are expected, and HCA “will remain a U.S. company.”

The deal was described as a positive step for HCA, which has continued to invest in manufacturing capabilities, machinery, advanced quality control techniques, R&D (see p. 38), technical expertise and capacity expansions. “We stand by our commitment to manufacturing premium products, and the strong financial profile backing of Bain Consortium will empower us to accelerate investment efforts.”

HCA includes three divisions: the Performance Cable Systems & Materials Division, with 240 employees; the Automotive Products Division, with 100 employees; and the High Performance Medical Solutions Division, which has 180 employees. The Performance Cable division’s 300,000-sq-ft plant in Manchester, New Hampshire, designs and produces advanced copper and fiber optic based communication cable.

The agreement will see a branding away from the HCA name on Jan. 4, 2023, into Proterial Cable America, a portmanteau of the words “professional” and “material.”

Last modified on November 7, 2022

Sweden’s Hexatronic Group AB (Hexatronic) has signed a binding asset purchase agreement to acquire all business activities of Rochester Cable from TE Connectivity (TE).

Per an announcement issued by Hexatronic, it will pay $55 million to acquire Rochester Cable, a U.S. designer and manufacturer of cables based in Culpeper, Virginia. The company has 130 employees and a production site of some 40,000 sq m. The deal, expected to close by the end of next March, will include all the land and buildings for the operations.

The agreement broadens Hexatronic’s offering within fiber optic submarine communication cables to include dynamic working cables that can transmit electrical signals and power in addition to transmitting optical signals. Rochester Cable’s electro-optical cables for operation in harsh environments are highly engineered to meet specific requirements in demanding industries such as oil and gas, sensing, defense, oceanographic and subsea applications. Product sales are mainly in the U.S. but also in the EMEA and APAC regions.

Over the last decade, TE significantly invested in increasing capacity, and the production facility provides many possibilities for further growth. The acquisition will include the land and buildings of the production sites and office buildings. Completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close no later than March 31, 2023.

“We are happy to have reached an agreement with TE Connectivity ... (as) Rochester Cable is uniquely positioned with its know-how and application expertise, which has been developed as a market leader for decades,” said Hexatronic Group CEO Henrik Larsson Lyon.

Hexatronic has been a supplier of fiber optic submarine communication cables since the 1990s. Combining the know-how, geographical footprint, and product portfolio of Rochester Cable in the U.S. and Hexatronic submarine business in Sweden provides exciting opportunities for the future,” said Hexatronic Group CEO Henrik Larsson Lyon.

Last modified on November 7, 2022

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