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U.K. body confirms investment in XLCC to build a subsea cable plant in Scotland

The UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB) announced that it will support an investment in subsea HVDC cable manufacturer XLCC to develop a new world-leading factory in Hunterston in Scotland.

A press release said that the funding consists of an initial £20 million from the UKIB with an option to invest a further £67 million upon XLCC achieving specific development and funding milestones.

“The financing will help XLCC develop its factory in Hunterston, Scotland, which once completed will have capacity to produce thousands of km each year of leading edge HVDC cable,” the release said. The UKIB commitment is complemented by additional investment from existing and new investors. This is incremental to the funding of over £40 million raised by the company to date, to design the product, complete detailed design activities for the factory and to achieve full planning permission at the site.

“The project is firmly in line with the Bank’s twin missions to help tackle climate change and support regional and local economic growth,” the release said. Once complete the Hunterston factory will create around 900 permanent jobs including over 200 apprenticeships.

Ian Douglas, XLCC’s CEO, said that XLCC’s mission is to provide critical elements of the infrastructure that are essential to the energy transition and will reduce project costs to the benefit of the U.K. consumer.

XLCC’s already has its first order: four 3,800-km-long cables to connect solar and wind renewable power generation in the Sahara to the U.K. for the Xlinks Morocco-UK power project. “We look forward to delivering a factory of great local and international importance for HVDC subsea cable,” said XLCC Project Director Alan Mathers. “The U.K. will be positioned as a world leader in the green economy, with the site at Hunterston playing a key role in connecting cheap, green energy from renewables projects around the world.”

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Primetals Technologies reports completed mill installation for Baoshan Iron and Steel

Primetals Technologies has recently completed an installation at Baoshan Iron and Steel in Shanghai, China, for a new combination mill featuring both a wire rod mill outlet and bar-in-coil line to produce 600,000 tons per year of wire rod and bar products.

A press release said that the installation is Baoshan’s first greenfield long-rolling investment since the original mill installation in 1998. The new mill is designed to increase rolling mill capacity and expand the size range so the wire rod mill outlet can handle 7.5-mm to 29-mm rod and the bar-in-coil line can handle 8-mm to 50-mm bar.

To reduce downtime, Primetals Technologies used four eDrive mini-finishing mills with 250 mm ultra-heavy-duty roll housings for integrated single-family rolling from a standardized mill train. The eDrive, one of the company’s newest long-rolling solutions, is designed to increase load-carrying capacity, reduce long-term costs and enable low-temperature thermomechanical rolling, using quick-change roll units.

The project included equipment supply, engineering, and site supervision services as an open consortium between Baowu Steel Group and Primetals Technologies. The full list of equipment included four eDrive mini-finishing mills, guide optics, a pinch roll and laying head, the latest high-speed pouring reels, as well as a mechatronics package comprising the mechanical software necessary for this key equipment.

“The Primetals Technologies high-speed rod mill eDrive and bar-in-coil technology has been well received and the progress of the project has been highly praised by all parties,” the release said.

Baoshan Iron and Steel is a subsidiary of state-owned Baowu Steel Group that is located in Shanghai. It owns four plants located in Shanghai, Nanjing, Zhanjiang and Wuhan. The steel service company specializes in stainless steel and carbon steel alloys, including wire rod products, since the late 1990s.

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RichardsApex launches subsidiary

RichardsApex, a U.S.-based manufacturer and supplier of specialty metalworking lubricants, process coatings and cleaning compounds, announced that it has launched a wholly owned subsidiary in Singapore: RichardsApex International PE Ltd.

A press release said that the new entity will bolster the company’s ability to serve changing market needs. “As worldwide metalworking demands continue to expand and intensify, so does the commitment of RichardsApex in providing knowledgeable, experienced, and professional personnel available to manufacture, distribute, and service all metalworking markets. This strategically located subsidiary combines our growing global network, including distributors and agents, who are ready to serve the needs of our customers throughout the world.”

The Singapore subsidiary’s operations team will be managed by Vishal Handa, who joined RichardsApex in 2019. Customers can access RichardsApex products through the subsidiary, and customers are invited to review the enhanced sales and service network via the company’s website: www.richardsapex.com. RichardsApex also has a European subsidiary: RichardsApex Europe Ltd.

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Copper cable manufacturer claims to be the 1st such entity in Kurdistan region of Iraq

Erbil Copper & Cable Company for General Trading-Ltd. (Erbil Cable) reports that it has begun operations at its site, where it will produce 8-mm copper wire rod from scrap and copper wire and cable. At its website, the company notes that it is the first copper wire and cable factory in the Kurdistan region.

Per reports posted online at www.kurdistan24.net and gulanmedia.com, Erbil Cable initially became a business entity in 2020, and the project began in 2021. Construction was completed by the end of 2023, and the operations—which include the formation of Erbil Mercury and Cable Company—was inaugurated Oct. 2 by Masrour Barzani, who serves as the prime minister of the Kurdistan Region.

Barzani said that developing the industrial sector strengthens the economic infrastructure of the Kurdistan Region. He promised support for Erbil Cable’s efforts to export its products abroad. “We want the industrial sector to surpass the borders of Kurdistan.”

Per one report, Erbil Cable will provide copper wire and cable to the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and other countries in the zone. It will also provide some support and services to all large industries, contractors and businessmen in the Kurdistan Region. Erbil Cable representative Sadiq Mohammed said that Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region, has previously sent copper waste abroad for recycling and subsequent reimport. “Now, the company will undertake this process domestically.”

The project, said to cost more than $80 million, includes six factories that cover an area of ​​175,000 sq m that employs nearly 200 people, 160 of whom are local. Erbil Cable and Erbil Mercury were said to have annual production capacity of 80,000 metric tons, which includes 30,000 metric tons from recycled copper scrap.

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Lesjöfors Group completes acquisition of French spring company Ressorts Lacroix

Sweden’s Lesjӧfors Group reports that the company has finalized its previously announced acquisition of Ressorts Lacroix, a French spring manufacturer that will expand the Group’s European spring supply solutions.

A press release said that Ressorts Lacroix’s product lines serve the hydraulic, automotive, aerospace and medical sector. Lacroix has annual revenue of €6.5 million with good profitability and has 46 employees at its factory in Meung-sur-Loire in central France.

Per its website, the company, founded in 1951, is located in the center of Northern France in Meung-sur-Loire, where it has a 4,000 sq m workshop. Its products include custom-made springs, flat springs, tension springs, torsion springs and compression springs.

“Our potential is now limitless,” said Ressorts Lacroix CEO Yohan Dutheil. “Lesjӧfors, as a global parent company, enables us to access new markets. Being part of a larger corporation not only gives us greater reach, it also enables us to access sales strategies, knowledge, technologies and networks that enrich our employees and adds value to our customers.”

Lesjӧfors Group CEO Ola Tengroth said that the company was “laser focused” on acquiring Ressorts Lacroix. “We’re grateful to them for enabling us to now say we have a manufacturing plant in France, and we look forward to developing this partnership even further.”

Earlier this year, the Lesjӧfors Group opened a new manufacturing facility in Poland alongside an existing plant that is part of Alcomex, its subsidiary, which has operations in nine countries. At that time, the Lesjӧfors Group was said to have more than 50 production and technical sales offices in Europe, America and Asia, and was “actively looking to acquire more spring manufacturers.”

The Lesjöfors Group is owned by Beijer Alma, a listed company on the Stockholm Stock Exchange.

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Niehoff expanding at 2 locations in Germany to increase production capacity

Germany’s Maschinenfabrik Niehoff GmbH & Co. KG reports that it will invest €15.5 million to expand machine production capacity for the wire and cable industry.

A press release from the OEM said that the company recently held two ground-breaking ceremonies at the company’s headquarters in Schwabach and at its branch plant at Leuterschach to mark the start of the construction work. The factory in Schwabach will be expanded by two halls—a manufacturing hall and a logistics hall—that are scheduled to go into operation in August 2025. Like the existing halls of the modern factory opened in 2015, the two new ones will also have a photovoltaic system on the roofs and use geothermal energy for heating and cooling technology.

At Leuterschach, Niehoff has acquired an additional 3,500 sq m of factory premises and will build another hall and outdoor facilities there, expanding the existing production area by 1,700 sq m for storage, assembly and testing. The release said that the owners of the family business are investing the €15.5 million not just for the additional capacity but to further their sustainability goals. Since the beginning of 2021, 100% of the electricity in both the Schwabach and the Leuterschach factories have been generated from hydropower and is therefore carbon-free.

The company attaches great importance to the long-term durability of its products and stands for the manufacture of machines featuring reliability, process stability, high productivity, energy and materials efficiency, and reduced CO2 emissions. Consequently, Niehoff is also certified by the German Environmental Auditors Board EMAS, belongs to the Blue Competence sustainability initiative of the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) and with a view to its corporate social responsibility (CSR) cooperates with the international platform for sustainability ratings EcoVadis.

Niehoff Group has a workforce of around 1,300 employees worldwide and is comprised of its headquarters, its branch plants at Leuterschach in Germany, NST in Badalona-Barcelona, Spain, and manufacturing subsidiaries in Brazil, the U.S., the Czech Republic, India, China, and Sweden, along with sales and service centers in Japan, Singapore, and Mexico.

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Taihan Cable reports Singapore contract

Taihan Cable & Solution (Taihan) has secured a landmark contract in Singapore, further solidifying its position as a global leader in the high-voltage power grid sector.

Per reports in Korea IT TIMES and BusinessKorea, Taihan announced on Oct. 4 that it had signed two contracts with Singapore’s SP PowerAssets Limited for the supply and installation of 400 kV high-voltage power grids.

The NDC373 project, one of the two contracts, is valued at around $360 million, making it the largest high-voltage AC transmission network export in South Korea’s history. This project involves constructing a 400 kV high-voltage underground power grid, the highest voltage used locally, across Singapore. Taihan will execute the project in a full turn-key manner, handling everything from power grid design and production to laying, connection and testing.

“We will continue to contribute to enhancing national competitiveness by widely promoting the excellence of Korean cable technology and products in key markets such as the United States, Europe, and Asia,” said Taihan Vice Chairman Song Jong-min. “Taihan’s success in securing this contract amidst competition from leading global companies underscores its robust capabilities and reputation in the industry.”

Taihan’s track record in Singapore includes previously 400 kV projects in 2016 and 2022. It noted that Taihan is “the only domestic company to participate in all 400kV full turn-key projects conducted in Singapore.”

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NKT signs agreement with Dutch company, joins its bolstered list of cable suppliers

NKT has made a framework supply agreement with Dutch distribution system operator Enexis, which earlier this year announced that it would be “scaling up” its cable suppliers from three to eight to assure its cable needs can be met for its ambitious power grid projects that will collectively cost an estimated €2.3 billion.

A press release said that one of Enexis’s projects will require several thousand km of underground power cables to expand the power grid in the Dutch provinces of Groningen, Drenthe, Overijssel, Brabant and Limburg to prepare for an increasing amount of renewable energy. The agreement with NKT calls for it to deliver approximately 600 km of power cables per year over the next eight years for that project.

The majority of the medium-voltages power cables will be produced at NKT’s factory in Asnaes, Denmark, with shipments starting in 2025. The plant is being expanded in the coming years as part of NKT’s announced investments across three medium-voltage manufacturing sites.

Enexis reports that it will need more than 76,000 km of power cables over the next 12 years, as part of its reinforcement of the Dutch power grid. That will include some 40,000 km of medium-voltage cables and more than 36,000 km of low-voltage cables needed for the reinforcement and expansion of neighborhood grids.

To make this possible, Enexis is scaling up from its base of three cable manufacturers: Prysmian Netherlands, TKF (BV Twentsche Kabelfabriek) and Waskönig+Walter Kabel-Werk GmbH u. Co. KG. It plans to add five suppliers. In addition to NKT, those include Tele-Fonika Kable, Hellenic Cables, KLZ Vertriebs and GM Products.

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Last modified on November 2, 2024

Aurora Material Solutions has expanded

Aurora Material Solutions, LLC (Aurora), a manufacturer of polymer compounds that expanded in March with the acquisition of EnCom Polymers, reports that it has completed the expansion of its plant in Streetsboro, Ohio.

A press release said that the facility expansion “adds over 140 million pounds of compounding capacity, creates new jobs, and supports Aurora’s continued growth with customer partners.” The facility is the company’s largest and hosts its rigid PVC technical center.

“The expansion is an example of our company’s mission to be our customers’ first choice in polymer solutions,” said Aurora CEO Darrell Hughes. “The expansion will help us continue to grow and win with our customers while further enhancing our unparalleled quality and lead times.”

In other news, earlier this year, Aurora announced the launch of AuroraEcoplast™ and a number of recycled and other sustainable material solutions. The company notes that it has achieved +Vantage Vinyl Gold compliance, an industry-wide sustainability designation created by the Vinyl Sustainability Council. It was audited by the third-party GreenCircle, which certified companies across the entire U.S. vinyl value chain.

In March, the company changed its name from Aurora Plastics to Aurora Material Solutions, a name change was said to have been to reflects the company’s commitment to expanding its scope and embracing a broader range of materials and solutions.

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Last modified on October 3, 2024

Ducab Group member to double its capacity

Ducab Metals Business (DMB), a subsidiary of the Ducab Group, plans to increase its annual production capacity for aluminum as well as bare copper product capacity in response to what it said was surging global demand for the UAE-manufactured products.

A press release said that the company recently added 51,015 sq m to its existing facility in Kezad. It plans to increase production for aluminum from 55,000 to 110,000 metric tons per year. It also plans to increase its bare copper product capacity in the initiative to elevate the ‘Made in the Emirates’ brand and boost the company’s global competitiveness. The announcement was made at the
Ducab Metals Business Expansion Forum, held in partnership with Middle East Economic Digest (MEED). At the forum, DMB also presented its advancements in developing green aluminum.

Hildebrandt chose ecologically sustainable concepts for the planning of the construction project. The future energy requirements will be completely covered by biomass, generated from its own production waste. “By doing this, we are reducing our ecological footprint significantly,” said Hildebrandt Partner Matthias Lohraff.” A concise strategy for sustainability is a core element of the company strategy of August Hildebrandt Group.

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