The president of Ube Industries, a Japanese chemical company whose products include polyethylene products used for some cables, admitted that his company has provided doctored reports to customers.

Per an on-line report in The Japan Times, Yuzuru Yamamoto said that the company has skipped quality-control checks for some of its low-density polyethylene products since the 1990s at its plant in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture. The products, used to insulate power and telecommunications cables, were sold by Ube-Maruzen Polyethylene Co., a joint venture with Maruzen Petrochemical Co., to 50 clients that included wire makers.

The company admitted to not doing the required reports and providing bogus inspection reports to customers that needed them for their reporting requirement. After detecting the problem last December, the company said it conducted checkups to make sure there were no problems in product quality before briefing the clients.

Ube Industries said it has set up a panel of lawyers and outside directors to investigate the matter. “We deeply apologize for causing great inconvenience to those concerned,” Yamamoto said.

  The details at this point are sparse, but the EU has approved €578 million in funding for a power cable that will cross the Bay of Biscay, connecting Spain and France, a distance of some run for 230 miles.

   A report in Spain’s Olive Press said that the power cable to carry renewable energy is needed to ease one of Europe’s worst network bottlenecks. The contract, described as the highest ever, will transmit excess renewable energy between the two countries. The goal is to double current power capacity to 5,000 megawatts.

  “Only a fully interconnected market will improve Europe’s security of supply, ending the dependence of single suppliers, and give consumers more choice,” said Europe Climate Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete, who was cited in the report. In it, he said that the project would “end the isolation of the Iberian Peninsula and boost interconnectivity between the bloc. “Only a fully interconnected market will improve Europe’s security of supply, ending the dependence of single suppliers, and give consumers more choice.”

  The EU hopes the link will stave off dependency on Russian oil, increase renewable energy output and help meet climate goals.

Chase Corporation announced that it has acquired Stewart Superabsorbents (SSA), LLC, an advanced superabsorbent polymer (SAP) formulator and solutions provider, with operations located in Hickory and McLeansville, North Carolina.

  A press release said that for its most recently completed calendar year, SSA and its recently acquired Zappa-Tec business (collectively “Zappa Stewart”) had combined revenue in excess of $24 million. Zappa Stewart’s products include materials for diverse markets that include wire and cable, for which it provides direct application of swellable powder, liquid, or hot melt adhesives for substrates such as non-wovens, yarns, strength members and shielding tapes.

  The business, the release said, was acquired for $71,382,000, net of cash acquired, pending any working capital adjustments and excluding acquisition-related costs. As part of the deal, Chase acquired the business equity and entered into multiyear leases at both locations.  

“This is a highly complementary acquisition for Chase Corporation which leverages our existing channels to industrial markets and allows us to deliver more value to our customers,” said Chase President and CEO Adam P. Chase. “Zappa Stewart’s proven protective materials technology is a great fit with our core strategy and extends our reach into growing medical and consumer applications. Their North Carolina operations will broaden our capabilities, and will add two facilities near the three we already have in the region. The new technologies and additional management talent will enhance our cross-functional operating model, creating logical synergies and value-creation opportunities.”

  Chase Corporation will continue to manufacture and market under the Zappa Stewart brands and locations, with plans to integrate Zappa Stewart into its ERP platform in the coming months to further enhance existing operational, development and engineering expertise.