WCA January 2015

Industry news

ALSTOM Grid has won another major HVDC contract to support power provision in South Korea. Alstom has been awarded an HVDC line commutated converter project through its joint venture, KEPCO-Alstom Power Electronics Systems (KAPES), to design and supply equipment for a 33km energy corridor in the Seoul region. The ±500kV HVDC link with 1.5GW power capacity will transmit energy produced by the Dangjin power plant in the west of South Korea, to the densely populated Pyeongtaek area, east of Dangjin. South Korea needs to meet a rapid increase in power demand. HVDC will increasingly be used to supply power to populated areas as the country develops a resilient transmission grid. “Alstom is proud to contribute to Korea’s growing power economy. This project is the fruit of the joint venture and co-development efforts between KEPCO and Alstom; it will increase Alstom’s HVDC presence in Asia, and KEPCO will benefit from Alstom’s industry-leading HVDC technologies Seoul contractor Nigeria’s connectivity boost Alcatel-Lucent and MTN Nigeria, a subsidiary of Dubai-based MTN Group, are creating ultra-broadband connectivity for Nigeria with the launch of a super-fast, 100Gps fibre optic network. MTN Nigeria, which covers around 90 per cent of the country’s land mass, will deploy a 100G network that re-uses existing 10G optical assets, thereby preserving MTN’s past investments while ensuring a future-proof network. Alcatel-Lucent is supporting MTN Nigeria’s rapid growth in mobile subscribers by building a 100G DWDM/ OTN network using its 1830 photonic service switch (PSS) platform. MTN Nigeria – Nigeria Website : www.mtnonline.com Alcatel-Lucent – France Website : www.alcatel-lucent.com

❍ HVDC valves hall at Alstom

and expertise from around the world,” said Patrick Plas, senior vice president grid power electronics and automation at Alstom. Alstom is a recognised player in HVDC technologies in Korea. In the late 1990s the company provided the original 300MW HVDC bipole link for the 101km submarine interconnection

between South Korea’s Jeju Island and the mainland. In 2009, Alstom was awarded a second contract to supply the new converter stations for the 400MW HVDC bipole scheme, completed in 2014. Alstom Grid – UK Website : www.alstom.com

Oil-resistant crosslinkable halogen-free fire-retardant compound

Fainplast compound HFX 521 has been developed to meet the demand of products for cables with high operating temperatures (-40°C, +90°C). Oil resistant, it is especially designed for applications in aggressive environments such as shipboards, railways and oil platforms. HFX 521 can be processed on normal production lines for thermoplastic compounds and complies with IEC 60092-359, type SHF2 (sheathing materials for shipboard power and telecommunication cables) and with EN 50264-1, type EI 101-104 and EM 101-104 (railway rolling stock power and control cables). HFX 521 moisture cures in a short time by adding a specific catalyst, thanks to the Sioplas method. The crosslinked product offers excellent oil resistance, as required by relevant standards. The product is halogen free according to EN 50267-2-1 (HCl <0.1%, HBr <0.1%, HF <0.1%). In burning tests according to EN 61034-1, smoke allows a light transmittance higher than 90 per cent. The particular simplicity and cost effectiveness of the Sioplas method allows most cable producers to use HFX 521. Fainplast has also developed a specific catalyst for external applications that helps HFX 521 to pass the xenon ageing test required by UL 1581 standard (Sunlight resistance – Xenon Arc Test – wavelength 340nm). Fainplast Srl – Italy Website : www.fainplast.com

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Wire & Cable ASIA – January/February 2015