Italy’s Continuus-Properzi announced that it has been selected by Adani Group to supply a Properzi ETP TOP copper rod line for a subsidiary—Kutch Copper Ltd.—for its new copper complex project in Gujarat, India.

A press release said that the deal represents a strategic milestone for the entire copper field, not only in India but also worldwide. “We are more than happy and proud to announce this strategic sale of a brand new Properzi CCR line designed to produce up to 250,000 tons of ETP copper rod per year and even more, with our mission to make this CCR line as the most efficient, easiest to operate, and highest quality in the sector. This new project, after several others during the last years, is further proof of our leading position in the copper and aluminum rod fields; Properzi is the benchmark and reference throughout the world.”

Company President Giulio Properzi said that the continuous casting and rolling ETP line to be delivered in 2023 to Adani will produce 38 t/h of copper rod. He noted that all such lines are developed in partnership with customers to meet their specific needs. “Every contract and every negotiation in our field requires considerable dedication and a lot of patience, as dialogues need very long times. But in this case, I could see the final achievement after an incredible long period of sixty years of sweat, efforts, hard work and engineering, since the first copper rod line my father provided, as a disruptive tool, to the industry in 1962.”

Per an on-line article in Business Today, Kutch Copper’s greenfield copper refinery project, in two stages, is designed to produce one million metric tons a year.

The Madem Reels Group announce that it has expanded in the Middle East with the Madem Gulf Ind. - Bahrain opening a new manufacturing, assembly and distribution plant in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

A press release said that the new site represents the company’s second manufacturing plant in the Middle East, following the initial plant located in Askar, Bahrain. The operations are scheduled to begin in 2023 with assembly and distribution beginning in the third/fourth quarter, while manufacturing is set for the first or second quarter of 2024.

The initial investment includes cutting-edge, fully automated wooden drum CNC lines. Annual capacity should reach over 1,000 truckloads of KD reel kits. The plant is expected to create more than a hundred new jobs.
“Aligned with our values and commitments to our customers, we are thrilled with the new plant in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said General Manager Alexandre Monte Mezzo. “It’s a great step in the continuous evolution of Madem Group to be part of KSA’s current developmental strategies and economic vision, which will further improve and maximize our production and delivery capacity within the kingdom itself as well as the GCC, Arab, and North Africa markets.”

“Opening a second branch within the GCC reiterates Madem Group’s strong commitment to cater to the growing requirements of customers in this region especially the booming KSA market in line with the Royal Vision 2030,” said Adel Abdulla Mohammed Janahi, general manager, sales. “This new plant incorporated with the latest automated technology will have increased capacity and productivity to meet all the requirements and demands of our customers in the region.”

Based in Brazil, the Madem Reels Group, has its own renewable forests, sawmill and manufacturing facilities in Brazil, USA, Bahrain, Colombia, Mexico and Spain that employ more than 700 associates world-wide. It ships to more than 200 wire and cable plants in 45 countries.

South Korea’s LS Cable & System (LS C&S) reports that its new high-strength aluminum material has been assigned an alloy number (AA8031) by the Aluminum Association (AA) of the U.S.

A press release said that LS C&S is expanding its new aluminum material business through its affiliated company, LS Alsco. AA8031 has better malleability and is more than 40% stronger than traditional aluminum materials that have been criticized for their weakness, and improved malleability. Another weakness of aluminum, where conductivity drops when strength is enhanced, has also been improved.

LS C&S projects that aluminum will replace copper in industries where lighter weight is important, such as the auto industry, since aluminum is lighter than copper and the market for aluminum will grow in the future.
Changing the conductor in automobile wiring from copper to aluminum reduces wire weight by more than 40%. The average wire weight of 25 kg per vehicle can be reduced to around 15 kg, resulting in improved fuel efficiency. The company plans to expand its supply of aluminum materials for electric cars and wind power generators through its high-strength aluminum material specialist company LS Alsco.

“Unlike patents, commercialization and the time required for commercialization serves as important review criteria for AA, which makes it difficult to obtain an alloy number,” said LS C&S Researcher Sang-gyeom Kim. “AA8031 has been commercialized for wires in vehicles manufactured by Hyundai and Kia since 2019 and its quality has been proven.”

AA provides global standards to corporations and policymakers. Over 500 alloy numbers have been assigned worldwide. Of those, 20 alloy numbers have been assigned in Asia, with Korea, Japan, and China having three, 14 and three, respectively. Those include all three for LS C&S, including Korea’s AA8031.

Hellenic Cables has signed a contract to provide the cable for a Greek project that will provide a new electrical interconnection for seven Greek islands.

A press release said that the order from Greece’s Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO), which oversees the country’s supply of electricity, calls for the design, manufacturing, and supply of 150 kV high-voltage onshore and offshore cables as well as their accessories, the installation, laying, and protection of the onshore and offshore cables, the implementation of necessary joints and terminations as well as the final tests after installation.

The project will integrate Milos and Serifos into the continental Electricity Transmission System, part of the fourth and final phase of the Cyclades interconnection. Scheduled to be in operation in a little more than two years, the new interconnection will significantly upgrade the quality of electricity supply to seven more directly and indirectly interconnected islands of the Cyclades (Folegandros, Milos, Serifos, Ios, Kimolos, Sifnos, and Kythnos). It will also allow the gradual withdrawal of polluting and aging power plants.

The cables will be manufactured at the Corinth plant of Hellenic Cables.

Xignux announced that it will invest $5.9 million to build a plant for Multipak, a manufacturer of reels and spools for the wire and cable industry that is part of Viakable and based in Durango, Mexico.

A press release said that the new plant will have a dimension of 12,000 sq meters in the Logistics and Industrial Center of Durango, which is located at Carretera Durango-Torreón. It is expected to be operational in late 2024.

The investment in the new plant will result in about three dozen new positions. The company currently has 295 employees in Durango, and others at its branches in Monterrey, Tlaxcala, Torreón and San Luis Potosí. At its website,

Multipak notes that it is one the main producers of wooden reels in Mexico, and recognized for its quality, flexibility and timely service. It also provides wooden, plastic and steel reels as well as auxiliary products such as pallets.

Multipak’s presence in Durango dates back to 1974. “We are excited about making an investment that will generate new jobs and allow us to grow our production capacity and optimize our processes to offer better solutions to our customers,” said Oscar de J. Martínez, director of Xignux Corporate Development. “We have a long-term commitment to the development of Durango and Mexico.”