WCA January 2019

Industry news

Sterlite expands presence with Italian purchase

Double first in Pakistan Pakistan’s first HVDC project, the Matiari-Lahore transmission line, is set to meet its completion deadline of March 2021. The line will transfer 4,000 MW from Thar and other projects at Sindh. The project is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2021 at a cost of $1,658.34 million. This 878km line is a CPEC priority project and also the first private sector transmission line project to be developed under “Transmission Line Policy 2015”. PPIB (Private Power and Infrastructure Board) has already completed 37 private power projects of 15,500 MW and raised investments of $17 billion. The HVDC transmission system offers many advantages for power transmission over longer distance in terms of higher transmission capacity and lower losses. Projects to be connected with the new transmission line include the 660 MW Engro Thar; Thar Coal Block-I (Shangai), 1,320 MW; Port Qasim, 1,320 MW; and Hub Power Port Qasim, 1,320 MW. Private Power and Infrastructure Board – Pakistan Website : www.ppib.gov.pk An essential manual It is all in the name: “The complete Kabelschlepp” offers compact knowledge on the topic of cable carriers in more than 700 pages. Compared to the previous complete catalogue, the experts from Tsubaki Kabelschlepp have added technical product information and also explain the basics of the subject area, making it suitable for customers who have not worked with cable carriers in detail before. “The complete Kabelschlepp” focuses on the cable carrier portfolio, with the advantage that much greater detail can be provided on the cable carriers than before. To create a basis for all additional information, the catalogue starts out with the chapter “Configuration guidelines”. It covers the selection of the best possible cable carrier and explains important rules for installing cables and hoses. Tsubaki Kabelschlepp – Germany Website : www.tsubaki-kabelschlepp.com

Metallurgica reported a revenue of €48.7m and net income of €4.2m at the close of the 2017 financial year. The acquisition will significantly expand Sterlite Tech’s market presence in Europe. It will bring new tier-1 customers, augment product portfolio, and enhance flexibility and ability to better serve the European market. “We are delighted to sign a definitive agreement for the acquisition of Metallurgica Bresciana, which will expand Sterlite Tech’s optical fibre cabling business by augmenting our access to key European markets and adding highly complementary speciality cables to our products portfolio,” said Dr Anand Agarwal, CEO of Sterlite Tech. “This acquisition aligns with our global supply chain strategy of having cabling facilities in close proximity to our key customers to serve their needs for next-generation networks.” Sterlite Tech – India Website : www.sterlitetech.com

STERLITE Tech, an end-to-end global technology company in smarter digital networks, has announced the signing of definitive agreements for acquisition of a European specialised optical cable manufacturer based in Italy. Sterlite Tech, through its wholly owned Italian subsidiary Sterlite Technologies SpA, will acquire a 100 per cent stake in Metallurgica Bresciana SpA (Meta- llurgica). Metallurgica designs and manu- factures special precision optical fibre cables and specialised copper cables for various communication app- lications. The target firm is a privately held company focused on bringing specialised cabling solutions for various network applications across industry segments. The acquisition is an all-cash deal for approximately €47m, which is being funded through a combination of euro debt instruments and internal accruals.

Schuler acquires Italian press manufacturer Farina Presse

Schuler has acquired Farina Presse, an Italian manufacturer of presses and forging lines. With its acquisition of the engineering specialist based in Suello, northern Italy, the Schuler Group has rounded out its own product portfolio in the field of forging and single-stroke presses. Farina Presse will gain access to Schuler’s global distribution network for its products, and continue to operate under its own brand name. “By acquiring Farina Presse, we have taken a further successful step in our product strategy of strengthening Schuler’s market position in the mid-range price and performance segment,” said CEO Domenico Iacovelli. “Farina Presse already supplies interesting customer groups in Europe and, together with Schuler, will also serve customers in Asia and North America in the future.” Paolo Civardi, general partner of Farina Presse, added: “Becoming a member of the Schuler Group offers Farina Presse a unique growth perspective as it will give us access to new international markets. In return, Schuler will benefit from the flexibility and favourable cost structures of a small forging line specialist like Farina Presse.” In 2017, Farina Presse generated sales of around €21m with just over 40 employees. The company mostly supplies customers in Italy, Spain and Germany at present and is particularly successful in the automotive industry. With press forces of between 750 and 8,000 metric tons, the machines produced by Farina Presse cover a wide performance spectrum. Schuler AG – Germany Website : www.schulergroup.com

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Wire & Cable ASIA – January/February 2019