Essex Solutions has seen substantial growth in demand for special winding wire that has propelled the U.S. subsidiary of LS Group to record impressive growth in its transformer wire sector, with an average annual growth rate of 11% in North America and 8% in Europe over the past four years, and much more than that by 2028.

Per multiple media reports, Essex Solutions sees continued strong demand for transformers driven by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and the replacement cycle for approximately 70% of transformers in the United States. In response, Essex Solutions is operating its production lines at its Canadian and Italian plants at full capacity.

Essex Solutions also recently added two production lines to its North American manufacturing facilities, aiming to expand its production capacity from the current 3,500 tons to 8,500 tons by 2030, marking a 143% increase. Similarly, its European plant plans to boost production capacity from 11 thousand tons to a maximum of 15 thousand tons through improved operational efficiency and the replacement of outdated equipment.

The company’s expansion strategy is a response to continuous demand growth in North American and European markets. It expects to grow from the current 19% and 28% rates to 50% and 35%, respectively, by 2028. “We will solidify our position in the global market, including North America and Europe, by actively responding to diverse customer needs based on innovations in transformer winding wire manufacturing technology and efficient facility investments,” the release said.

The special winding wire industry for transformers typically operates by securing orders for production in three to six-month intervals. However, currently extending delivery times beyond two years due to a supply shortage—a situation expected to persist until 2030—this supply-demand imbalance is anticipated to drive rapid sales growth due to increased demand.

Prysmian has formed a partnership with Dow to advance the production of the company’s Sirocco® microduct cables that uses Dow’s AXELERON™ telecom cable compound.

A press release explained that the partnership will help Prysmian achieve its goals. “Through our partnership with Dow, we’re able to evolve and improve on our product lines continuously, helping our customers achieve solutions that are not only environmentally conscious but better for their bottom line,” said Patrick Jacobi, vice president for telecom at Prysmian North America.

AXELERON is a black, UV-stabilized HDPE cable jacket material designed for power and telecom applications and ensures a low coefficient of friction (COF) and extremely low shrinkage. This enables an extremely high fiber count in smaller diameter cables and increases cable installation efficiency offering excellent toughness, weather resistance, and high-speed extrusion processing.

Of note, Dow’s AXELERON cable compound and Prysmian’s Sirocco microduct cable were recognized as a winning co-development technology in the 2024 R&D 100 Awards in the Mechanical/Materials category. The program identifies and celebrates the top 100 revolutionary technologies of the year and is considered a prestigious award in the research and development communities.

To facilitate the growing need for Sirocco cables in the U.S., Prysmian has made significant investments across its North American footprint, including a $30 million investment in its factory in Jackson, Tennessee. The site has been retooled from producing legacy copper to fiber optic cable production. A $50 million multi-year modernization project at Prysmian’s Claremont fiber facility has also enhanced process capabilities, systems and technologies to support future growth.

ZTT Submarine Cable & System (ZTTSC) has been awarded an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for China’s Yangjiang Fanshi II offshore wind project.

Per an article posted at www.offshorewind.biz, ZTTSC will deploy a 500 kV three-core AC submarine cable system, stretching 92 km to transmit 1,000 MW of renewable power from the offshore wind farm to onshore grids. The project represents one of the most advanced and large-scale offshore wind cable installations in the industry.

The 1 GW Yangjiang Fanshi II offshore wind farm is being developed and owned by China’s CGN Wind Energy Limited. The project is planned for the South China Sea, Guangdong, China, with construction expected to commence in 2025 and commercial operation anticipated in 2029.

LS Cable & System (LS C&S), South Korea’s largest cable manufacturer, reports that it has won a $137 million contract for it to supply high-voltage cables for a project in Singapore.

 A press release said that the deal, signed with Singapore’s power supply authority, is part of a major energy infrastructure project aimed at transmitting solar-generated electricity from Indonesia to Singapore.

LS C&S will provide 230-kV cables for an underground transmission section, with responsibilities covering manufacturing, construction and installation.

 Per a report in The Korea Herald, the company said it is negotiating an additional contract potentially worth $105 million for more underground cable sections. It is exploring a partnership with Vietnam Oil and Gas Group, Vietnam’s state-run energy supplier, to transmit wind-generated electricity from a Vietnamese wind farm to Singapore via undersea cables. LS C&S expects the recent deals to pave the way for expansion into Southeast Asia’s cable submarine cable sector.

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 capacity of 110,000 tons per year. “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,” said Hydro CEO Eivind Kallevik.

The project, scheduled for the first quarter of 2028 , is Hydro’s largest investment in Norway in 10 years. Per the company’s website, Hydro has 32,000 employees operations in some 50 countries and accounts for 40% of the aluminum produced in Europe.