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.
Industry News
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.”
The Prysmian Group announced that it has been selected as one of the preferred bidders for the Biscay Gulf interconnection project by INELFE, a joint venture between the Spanish grid operator, Red Eléctrica, and the French grid operator Réseau de Transport d’Électricité (RTE).
A press release said that Biscay Gulf will be the first fundamentally submarine interconnection between Spain (Gatika) and France (Cubnezais). It will have two high-voltage direct current (HVDC) links, each with a capacity of 1000 MW, and almost 800 km of HVDC submarine and land cables. The two links will increase in
2 GW the exchange capacity, improving the safety, stability and quality of electricity supply between the two countries and also with the rest of Europe.
Prysmian Group continues contract negotiations, with expectations of finalizing the contract in a few months.
Nexans has entered into exclusive negotiations with Syntagma Capital, a Belgium-based private equity fund, for the sale of its Telecom and Data business.
A press release said that the proposed transaction “marks Nexans’ exit from the telecom and data activity in line with its strategy to simplify its activities and amplify its impact in electrification markets.” The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of the first half of 2023.
The sale would include eight sites spread across France, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Morocco, China and Singapore that design, produce and commercialize advanced solutions for telecom, LAN networks as well as data centers. These operations constitute the main remaining part of the Telecom & Data division after the sale of Berk-Tek in 2020.
The proposed sale furthers the choice by Nexans to focus on electrification markets. In the company’s 2022 earnings report, CEO Christopher Guérin said that the numbers support that decision. “We were, yet again, proven right in reaffirming our choice: ‘Striving to champion a global sustainable electrification.’ As global grid investments soar, our Electrification businesses are up +12.9% organically, with record EBITDA performance, and all-time high adjusted Generation & Transmission backlog.”
S&P Global Ratings revised its outlook for Nexans from stable to positive and confirmed its ‘BB+’ rating. “Nexans’ operating performance has improved, thanks to progress made in its transformation plan, which focuses on electrification and achieving higher and more stable cash flows.”
At its website, Syntagma notes that the company, established in 2009, invests in businesses that can benefit from its hands-on operational expertise to accelerate growth and improve performance. It has deployed €1.1 billion in over 40 companies with revenues in excess of €4 billion and employing over 11,000 people worldwide.
The team has successfully carved-out businesses from public and private companies, among others, Solvay, Tessenderlo, Ashland, Clariant, Tyco International, Smurfit Kappa, ADT and Getronics.
Auxo Investment Partners reported that it has acquired two U.S. manufacturers—TACK Electronics and Morgan Royce Industries (MRI)—for an undisclosed price.
A press release said that the two companies manufacture custom wire harnesses, cable assemblies and box builds for the semiconductor equipment, aerospace and defense, gaming, medical, transportation and energy equipment industries. The additions follow Auxo’s purchase of wire and harness manufacturer Golden State Assembly, and help expand the firm’s growing wire platform.
TACK Electronics, Inc., based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, produces custom wire harnesses and assemblies for a wide variety of electronic applications. Per its website, the business was founded in 1996 by George Maines and his wife Linda in a two-stall garage, and grew over the years. It is now run by their son, Todd Gaines, who later became CEO, and is expected to continue in that role.
Morgan Royce Industries (MRI), based in Fremont, California, was founded in 1991. It specializes in turnkey, and consignment, cable, wire harness, PCP assemblies, box builds, upgrades, reconfigurations, repairs, and more. It is headed by CEO Larry Johnston, who is also expected to remain in that role.
Golden State Assembly provides harnesses and other products for sectors that include automotive, solar, power, medical, semiconductor and agriculture equipment.
Germany’s Kern-Liebers, a manufacturer of highly complex strip and wire parts and assemblies has expanded its Mexican production plant in Guadalupe, Nuevo Leon, with an investment of US$10 million.
A press release said that the plant will produce 50 million high-precision parts for the automotive, medical and consumer goods industries, from seat belts and lifelines to tape measures and window springs. The expansion will also create some 300 jobs.
Kern-Liebers has been present in Nuevo León since June 2019, when the first phase of this plant began operating. Due to the growing demand from customers in North America, the company has added 3,387 sq mt of surface area, an expansion of about 50%. Timm Jenisch, senior vice president for North America, said that it is important for Kern-Liebers to be present in North America, the largest commercial market in the world. “We are convinced that Nuevo León is the ideal location to be in this region, due to its geographical location, excellent connectivity and favorable conditions for the industry.”
The company has plants in the U.S. and Mexico that manufacture springs and wires, as well as other products. The ceremony was attended by local officials as well as Dr. Erek Speckert, the company’s CEO and chairman of the Management Board.
Elettrotek Kabel SpA (EK Group) has acquired Controlcavi Industria Srl—an Italian manufacturer of fire-resistant electrical cables for the marine, onshore and offshore petrochemical industry—and the trading company that owned it.
A press release said that the deal for the business, now called CCI Cable Service, will expand the scope of the EK Group, enabling it to continue the growth path it has been on since its founding in 2001. The EK Group now has 250 employees and annual revenues topping 150 million euros in its three divisions: electrical cable production, cable harness production and assembly and its worldwide commercial distribution.
The Italian manufacturer of low- and medium-voltage cables was formed in 1981. It operated with headquarters in Bernate Ticino (MI) and Milan, under its trading company, CCI Cable Service Srl. Products from the company, which is known for its FIREBAR® fire-resistant technology, have been approved by many of the world’s largest industrial, naval and petroleum groups.
EK Group President & CEO Robert Gallingani said that CCI Cable Service represents a perfect fit as the company share its values and entrepreneurial culture. “This knowledge alignment will result into an easy integration between the two companies, with subsequent growth of the EK Group in markets where track records, approvals and 40 years of experience are fundamental.”
Gallingani said the deal also respects the will of the recently deceased sole director and owner of the CCI Cable Service group, Gianpaolo Brambilla, to continue the company’s development path pursued by two generations, to preserve the excellence achieved and company values.
The Prysmian Group reports that it has been chosen by National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) to help the upgrading process of the U.K.’s electricity grid.
A press release said that Prysmian has been awarded a medium-voltage cable framework agreement with NGED, the U.K.’s largest electricity distribution network, that is for a minimum of three years. The deal was reached through Prysmian’s U.K. subsidiary.
Prysmian will supply medium-voltage cables primarily made at the Group’s Wrexham plant in North Wales. The cable will enable NGED Grid to expand and modernize the network. Prysmian and NGED have built a strategic relationship over many years across all voltage levels for supply into the U.K. market. Such projects include the North Sea Link, the world’s longest submarine electricity interconnector, enabling the sharing of renewable energy between the U.K. and Norway; the Viking Link, the first submarine cable connection between the U.K. and Denmark; IFA2, the turn-key design, manufacture and installation of a submarine and land power cable link to connect Tourbe in France to Chilling in Hampshire, U.K.; and the Western HVDC Link, a new submarine High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) interconnector between Scotland and England.
Hellenic Cables receives a 2nd contract to replace existing cable lines in Adriatic Sea
Hellenic Cables has signed a second contract with Croatia’s Končar Group to supply it approximately 30 km of 110 kV high-voltage submarine cables to replace outdated cable lines in the Adriatic Sea.
A press release said that Hellenic Cables will start production of the cable this year at its production facility in Corinth, Greece, and is expected to finish early in 2024. The company will also provide accessories and related services as part of the project for Končar Engineering Ltd., a regional supplier of engineering solutions, power transmission and distribution, rail vehicles and infrastructure.
The order marks repeat business. A prior order, in 2021, completed in 2022, saw the delivery of 12 km of 110 kV submarine cables, accessories and related services. “For the second time, we have chosen Hellenic Cables as a partner in a strategic project in Croatia which will connect Croatian islands Hvar, Korčula, Cres and Lošinj with new 110 kV HV cables,” said Gordan Planinić, MOB of Končar Engineering Ltd. “This enables, above all, to maintain the security of supply of customers on the Adriatic islands as well as a significant environmental contribution to the preservation of the cleanliness of the Adriatic Sea.”
Midal Cables, based in the Kingdom of Bahrain, will provide the transmission line conductors for the Ten West Link Transmission Line, an energy infrastructure project that had the support of the Biden-Harris administration.
A press release said that Midal Cables was chosen to supply the conductors for the project, which the Biden-Harris administration announced had been given the approval by the Interior Department. The project will facilitate increased renewable energy development and delivery in Arizona and California. The 126-mile long project will deploy a 500-kilovolt (kV) alternating current overhead transmission line.
“This prestigious project being supplied through EC Source to DCRT adds to many such projects that Midal Cables has had the opportunity to be associated with in North America,” the release said. It notes that Midal Cables is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of bare aluminum overhead conductors, which are made in the company’s four factories, and supplied to more than 60 countries world-wide.
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