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.
The Wire and Cable Industry Suppliers Association® (WCISA®) and the Wire Association International are pleased to cooperate as Industry Partners at Interwire 2023, supporting the activities of each other’s association on behalf of the wire and cable industry.
Of note, the Industry Partnership agreement was reached five years ago. Its practical deployment, however, was sidelined at Interwire 2021 by Covid-19. Being able to fully resume that relationship at Interwire 2023 is a positive step.
The agreement relates to how the two associations can support each other’s efforts. It also is quite fitting, as WCISA serves member companies that are essential suppliers to the wire and cable industry. Many WCISA company employees are also members of the WAI.
“We are pleased to cooperate with the WAI as Industry Partners with the shared goals of supporting the wire and cable industry and our common members,” said WCISA President Drew Richards, CEO of RichardsApex, Inc. “Many WCISA companies are regular participants in WAI-produced exhibitions, Interwire and Wire Expo, and we look forward to supporting these events and networking with WAI leadership at our ‘WCISA Night Out’ gatherings.”
The 2023 WCISA Night Out for members will be held from 6 pm to 8 pm on Monday, May 8, at the Der Biergarten at 300 Marietta Street Northeast.
The WAI has honorary membership in WCISA, and among those looking forward to the event is WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll. As he explains, a gathering of wire and cable professionals is always interesting. “I always see a lot
of familiar faces, and it almost feels like I’m at a WAI event. We both exist to further the wire and cable industry, and we do that in different ways, but it’s the same field, and the ability to hold a get-together like this to thank everyone for their participation, for helping make it all work, is a good way for everyone.”
Sam Otter, wire rope global procurement manager at Gripple Limited, said that his company was well aware of the scholarship as James Curry, a production team leader, served as the 2019 Wire Link Scholar. Also, the company has hosted visits from the U.S. Wire Link Scholar at its Sheffield plant that manufactures wire joining and tensioning devices.
A Gripple management team selected four employees who were involved with wire in their day-to-day job roles, and Otter, who joined the company 15 years ago, was chosen. “I felt on top of the world, and it’s given me a huge confidence boost. I feel honored that my colleagues put me forward for this award, and also that an external judge could see my passion and enthusiasm for Gripple, wire rope and my desire to get as much as possible from this great experience.”
Otter, age 33, said that he never attended an industry event like Interwire before, and looks forward to that experience as well as visiting industry companies. “I am looking forward to expanding my knowledge with the different seminars and also meeting new contacts that hopefully will turn into new suppliers for Gripple.”
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.
A press release said that expansion of the plant in Cuauhtémoc, which opened in 1998, was made to meet the increasing market demand. Over the next five years, Leoni will invest approximately $16.8 million for additional production equipment. The expansion is expected to result in at least 30 new jobs.
During the opening ceremony, Bill Livengood, president of Leoni Cables North America, expressed his gratitude for the excellent cooperation with the state of Chihuahua and the city of Cuauhtémoc. Guests at the celebration included the Governor of Chihuahua, Maria Eugenia Campos; the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, Maria Angelica Granados; and local officials.
The Cuauhtémoc plant has become an important player in the automotive cables business in NAFTA. It manufactures a broad product portfolio ranging from simple single-core cables to complex multi-core cables for driver assistance systems and data cables for autonomous driving is answering the needs of Tier 1 and Tier 2 customers in North America.
In 2020, Phase I of a project called EMOMEX (E-Mobility Mexico) was accomplished. It included an investment of $27 million in equipment and machines for the design, development and production of high-voltage cables and cables for charging systems. More than 120 new employees were hired.
How to resolve AdBlock issue?