WCA January 2020

India Insight

UK steel closures Having failed to find a buyer for the facility, Tata Steel will close its Orb Electrical Steels facility in Newport, Wales. “The Orb Electrical Steels business has been loss-making for several years, as it struggled to compete in the market,” Tata Steel said in a statement, adding that customer requirements for steels used in electricity transformers “have out-stripped the site’s capability”. It was felt that converting the site to produce steels for electric vehicle production would not be cost effective. Orb is part of the Cogent Electrical Steels business that Tata Steels previously announced it would be looking to sell. Cogent Power Inc, in Burlington, Canada, which produces cores for electrical distribution transformers, will be sold to Japan’s FE Shoji Trade Corporation. Surahammars Bruks AB, in Surahammar, Sweden, which makes advanced steels for electric vehicles, will be retained by Tata Steel, but Wolverhampton Engineering Steels Service Centre, in the UK, is to be closed. Tata says it will take steps to mitigate the impact on employees at the closed units, including offering alternative employment opportunities at other Tata Steel sites. Consultations with affected employees and trade unions at both Orb and Wolverhampton are expected to begin shortly. Tata Steel www.tatasteel.com Digital spread Over the next five years the consultancy division of Tata will help a rural carrier in the UK build a fibre broadband network. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) will work with Jurassic Fibre, in the south west of England, to take ultra-fast full-fibre broadband to towns and rural communities. Carol Wilson, head of Europe and the UK for TCS’s communications, media and information services business unit, said: “Fibre optic broadband connectivity will enable residents and businesses across the south west of England to realise the potential of digital technology.” Michael Maltby, Jurassic Fibre CEO and a former CFO of the Digicel group in Jamaica, said: “This is a big step forward for connectivity in the region, and absolutely vital as more and more of the world goes truly digital.” Tata Consultancy Services www.tcs.com Plant changes hands Tata Steel has sold its majority stake in the Vietnamese subsidiary Natsteel Vina. The Vietnam unit operates a 200,000 tonnes per year hot-rolling mill, producing construction products such as wire rod and rebar.

Tata’s 56.5 percent stake was sold to Vietnam-based Thai Hing Trading, a producer of billet and a trader in construction steel, billet and metal scrap, for $5 million. Tata has been keen to shed its southeast Asian businesses as it looks to focus on its Indian operations. Tata Steel www.tatasteel.com Robotic installations Sterlite Power has developed robotic technology for the installation of optical ground wire (OPGW) on high-voltage power transmission lines under energised (live-line) conditions.

❍ Robotic technology from Sterlite Power

The method will be deployed to replace existing earth wires in India and will enhance safety and cut installation times for OPGW stringing. Skyrob can also perform visual inspection and monitoring of existing earth wires and conductors. Launching the technology with the OPGW stringing for the 400kV Gurgaon-Bhiwadi line, Manish Agarwal, CEO, solutions business, Sterlite Power Transmission Ltd, said: “We are encouraged by the government’s progressive steps towards uptake of fibre-based communication systems for grid reliability and control. Innovations like Skyrob will accelerate the roll-out of these systems to replace legacy protection and communication systems.” Sterlite Power www.sterlitepower.com Cable venture under consideration Saudi cable producer Riyadh Cables Group Company (RCGC) is considering expanding its footprint in Bangladesh. RCGC is a worldwide exporter of electricity cables and is believed to be the fourth largest electric cable producer in the world. During a meeting between RCGC and officials from the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), RCGC expressed an interest in investing in the overhead electricity cable sector.

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