wiredInUSA March 2020

Issue No. 105 - March 2020

www.wiredInUSA.com

America’s online magazine for wire and cable

wiredIn USA

Messe Düsseldorf postpones wire 2020 Page 9

Network to exclude China and Hong Kong. Page 11

Cables on ice. Page 29

Protection by stealth. Page 35

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EDITOR

The Coronavirus outbreak has led to Messe Düsseldorf postponing the largest of its wire exhibitions – wire 2020 in Düsseldorf, Germany – which was due to start at the end of the month. The week-long exhibition, long known as the leading international show in our industry, was put on hold after concerns for the safety of both exhibitors and visitors alike (see page 9 for full details). Nucor Steel has struck the first EAF arc on its new MIDA plant in Sedalia, Missouri, and produced its first bundles of rebar for shipment. With a 380,000-ton capacity in straight and spooled bars for rebar (12.7mm to 35.8mm), the minimill is designed for energy-saving and environmentally friendly melting, casting and rolling. The Sedalia minimill is the tenth Danieli minimill with endless casting-rolling ECT technology for long products in operation worldwide. Turn to page 15 for the full story.

David Bell Editor

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wiredInUSA - March 2020

March 2020 Issue No.105 CONTENTS

06 PAGE

Show Diary 2020

09 PAGE

Making the News Industry news from the USA

28 PAGE

Europe news The latest news from Europe

34 PAGE

Asia & Africa News The latest news from Asia & Africa

40 PAGE

Products, Machines & Technology The latest news from machine industries

wiredInUSA - March 2020

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wiredIn USA

© 2020 Intras Limited UK ISSN 2046 - 9497 Publishers of EuroWire and Wire & Cable ASIA magazines

INTRAS OFFICES Europe: 46 Holly Walk, Leamington Spa Warwickshire CV32 4HY, UK

Tel: +44 1926 334137 Fax: +44 1926 314755

Email: read@wiredinusa.com Website: www.wiredinusa.com

USA: Danbury Corporate Center, 107 Mill Plain Road, Danbury, CT 06811, USA Tel: +1 203 794 0444 Email: doug@intras.co.uk

News Editor David Bell david@wiredinusa.com

Features Editor (USA and Europe) Gill Watson Publisher Caroline Sullens

Sales & Marketing (International) Sales Director Jason Smith jason@wiredinusa.com +44 1926 834 684 Accounts Manager Karen Low karen@intras.co.uk

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Diary Shows & Events 2020

March 3-5 March 2020 Cables 2020 Düsseldorf, Germany www.ami.international April 20-24 April 2020 Mach Birmingham, UK www.machexhibition.com

POSTPONED - NEW DATE TBC wire Düsseldorf Düsseldorf, Germany www.wire.de

June 2-4 June 2020 Wire Expo Uncasville, Connecticut, USA www.wireexpo20.com

JUNE 11-13 June 2020

June 17-20 June 2020 Korea Metal Week 2020 Seoul, South Korea www.korea-metal.com

The 21 st China International Spring Industry Exhibition Guangzhou, China www.springexpo.com.cn

For more info visit: www.wiredinusa.com/showinfo.php

wiredInUSA - March 2020

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Messe Düsseldorf postpones wire 2020 M A K I N G T H E NEWS

Messe Düsseldorf has postponed the leading international trade fair for the wire and cable industries — wire Düsseldorf — because of the Coronavirus outbreak. In close coordination with all partners involved, the company will promptly discuss alternative trade fair dates in order to ensure planning can reliably proceed. In doing so, it is following the recommendation of the crisis management team of the German government to take into account the principles of the Robert Koch Institute when making a risk assessment of major events. On the basis of this recommendation and the recent significant increase in the number of infected persons, including in Europe, Messe Düsseldorf has reassessed the situation. Added to this is the uncertainty of numerous

exhibitors and visitors at the events in March and the complicated travel situation, especially for international customers. Werner M Dornscheidt, CEO of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, said: “Our customers, partners and employees trust us. Not only when it comes to the professional and successful handling of major international events in Düsseldorf. They can also have this trust in us when we make decisions about critical situations in the interests of their safety.” “This decision was not an easy one for all concerned,” said Thomas Geisel, Lord Mayor of the City of Düsseldorf andChairman of the Supervisory Board of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH. “But the postponements at the present time are necessary for Messe Düsseldorf and its customers in view of the increasingly dynamic developments.”

Front cover : copyright Messe Düsseldorf/ctillmann

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wiredInUSA - March 2020

Network to exclude China and Hong Kong

Google and Facebook plan to activate the Pacific Light Cable Network (PLCN) between the US, the Philippines and Taiwan. Although originally planned to be the first submarine Internet cable network to connect the US and Hong Kong, sections running to Hong Kong and China will remain inactive amidst security concerns and the ongoing conflict between Washington and Beijing.

PLCN’s 12,800km cable has an estimated capacity of 120TB per second, making it the highest capacity trans-Pacific route. Much of the route’s fiber optics are the property of Pacific Light Data Communication, acompany that was sold to the Beijing-based broadband provider Dr Peng Telecom & Media Group, in 2017. Security concerns have since hovered around the project, due to Dr Peng’s links with Huawei.

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Wind delays

Vineyard Wind’s 800MW project, originally expected to be generating electricity by 2022, has been delayed by a new federal review. The joint venture between Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Avangrid Renewables awaiting clarity from the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). In early February, the BOEM published a new “one federal decision permitting timeline” that anticipates an outcome by 18 th December 2020.

Officials for the project, 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, had said inJuly2019 that theentireprojectwould be at risk if the federal government did not issue the project’s final environmental impact statement by the end of August. However, the company has since affirmed its commitment to the project: “…Albeit with a delayed project schedule.”

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Keeping to copper

Spectra7 Microsystems and Luxshare- ICT have successfully demonstrated OSFP format active copper cables (ACCs) passing 400Gbps Ethernet traffic, generated by a 12.6Tbps switch. Luxshare-ICT, a supplier of high performance interconnections and cable assemblies, chose Spectra7’s GaugeChanger™ technology for integration into the new range of OSFP active copper cables. The embedded Spectra7 GC2502 Linear EQ chips almost

triple the length of standard copper cables; this enables a significant number of cables in the 3m to 7m range to remain copper-based, instead of changing to costly, higher power optical solutions. Jinhua Chen, Enterprise GM at Luxshare- ICT, said: “Our continued collaboration with Spectra7 highlights our vision to build relationships that benefit our customers [and] partners, and provide flexible solutions to their toughest challenges.”

wiredInUSA - March 2020

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Continuous rebar

Nucor Steel has struck the first EAF arc on its new MIDA plant in Sedalia, Missouri, and produced its first bundles of rebar #8, ready for shipment. With a rated capacity of 380,000 tons per year for #4 to #11 rebar (12.7mm to 35.8mm) in straight and spooled bars, the minimill is designed for energy-saving and environmentally friendly melting, casting and rolling. The Danieli ECS ® scrap preheating system continuously charges hot scrap into a 40-ton side-charge

AC EAF, followed by a ladle treatment furnace. The core of the endless casting- rolling section is a single-strand, high speed continuous casting machine, connected to a compact 16-stand rolling mill. Finishing facilities consist of Danieli’s direct rolling and bundling DRB system and K-Spool technologies. Nucor Steel’s Sedalia minimill is the tenth Danieli minimill with endless casting- rolling ECR technology for long products in operation worldwide.

DeWAL PTFE Films and Tapes New solutions for challenging applications

DeWAL designs and manufactures a broad assortment of skived, unsintered and low density PTFE films and tapes. Our specialty laminates combine PTFE with porous substrates and films to withstand abrasion, harsh chemicals, hostile environments and irregular surfaces. For cost-effective film and tape solutions for masking, insulating, shielding, conducting and coating, call DeWAL today.

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For details and specs, go to www.dewal.com.

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wiredInUSA - March 2020

Robust performance on a tray

Lapp USA has introduced a line of shielded VFD motor cables for industrial tray applications that demand a tight bending radius. The cables, Ölflex VFD 1XL and 1XL with signal, feature XLPE (Plus) insulation that results in a reduced cable outer diameter. This makes it possible to install more cables into cable trays or carrier systems, or to downsizeprotectivecableconduit systems. The cables have a CF-01 continuous flex

(CF) rating in accordance with LAPP’s UL- verified continuous flex test method (ID A522492). Additional approvals include UL TC-ER (as per UL 1277); C (UL) CIC FT4; and they meet XHHW-2 performance requirements, as per UL44. VFDmotors often operate in harsh industrial environments, so Ölflex VFD 1XL cables are engineered to resist oil, water, impact, and other factory environment hazards.

ECC offers a broad portfolio of customized elastomeric or polyolefin based compounds utilized for medium/high voltage as well as certain low voltage flame retardant applications including: • EPR and Polyolefin Compounds • Elastomeric, Crosslinkable, and Thermoplastic Compounds • Flame Retardant and Halogen Free Compounds • Moisture Crosslinkabe Compounds • Specialty/Custom/FR Masterbatches • Insulation, Jacketing, and Bedding Compounds • ISO 9001 certified manufacturing process ensures quality, efficiency and ultimately customer satisfaction. • Non-carbon black product lines produce super-clean, elastomeric high voltage cable compounds. • Personalized customer service and support to customers worldwide. Wire & Cable Customized Compounds

108 Rado Drive, Naugatuck, CT 06770 USA Tel: +1 203-723-2590 www.ElectricCableCompounds.com

wiredInUSA - March 2020

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MEET YOUR NEED FOR SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING SOLUTIONS

Coils

Spools

Reels

Let us tell you about our smart packaging solutions at our booth 10F37 at Wire 2020, 30 March–3 April, in Düsseldorf. See you there! Save on cable packaging costs Optimize labor utilization Reduce waste Maximize the output

For more tradeshow details contact Olga Berlinberg: olga.berlinberg@windakgroup.com

Windak (North & South Americas) Phone: + 1 828 322 2292 x 101 SalesAmericas@windakgroup.com Windak (EMEA) Phone: +46 70 629 00 56 SalesEMEA@windakgroup.com

Windak (CIS & Russia) Phone: +372 55 688 470 mihail.sharapov@windakgroup.com Windak (Asia Pacific) Phone: +61 410 574 090 SalesAsia@windakgroup.com

www.windakgroup.com

Maxbolt load-indicating fasteners

Watching the load

Maxbolt load-indicating fasteners, from Valley Forge and Bolt, can reduce downtime, premature wear, and catastrophic joint failures by using a load- monitoring device inserted into each fastener. Observation of the monitor allows technicians to see if the clamp load falls out of specification on an individual bolt and so correct the issue immediately.

Maxbolt offers clamp loads within five percent of design specification; measurements are based on tension, eliminating inaccurate torque control. Custom labels can show an optimum operating range, using a green zone, or pinpoint precise clamp load values.

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Transmitter diode

OMChas released a hermetically sealed 850nm fiber optic transmitter diode that delivers a high intensity output for coupling into multimode fibers. The device contains integral micro-optics that focus the beam to a very narrow point, delivering efficient coupling into multimode glass optical fibers as small as 50µm.

environments. The hermetically sealed TO-can body has a glass optical window that helps protect the device internals from atmospheric conditions. The device features fast rise/fall times, allowing high speed operation in the tens of MHz, and achieves a typical launch power of 30µW at 100mA into 50/125 fiber.

The FDE851HLBF 850nm emitter has been designed to operate in challenging

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‘Smart’ fasteners from Hilti

Fasteners get smart

The construction industry products maker Hilti has launched Internet of Things- enabled “smart” fasteners using its Tracefast technology. The connected fasteners each have a unique identifying code to simplify the digital documentation of anchors, screws and bolts installed on a job site. The technology uses a data matrix code and allows construction workers to scan the code with the Hilti Connect app to view installed fastener details.

The company believes that bringing Internet of Things (IoT) to job sites will provide control and digital access to setting instructions, training, and inspection documents and certifications. “As IoT transforms the construction industry, our product portfoliowill continue to expand and shape possibilities for broader applications and services,” said Muthu Manohar, senior director of fastening and protection at Hilti North America.

wiredInUSA - March 2020

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Rogue ® OLTS certifier, from AFL

Take a Rogue test

AFL has launched the Rogue ® OLTS certifier, designed for both enterprise network operators and telecom service providers. The certifier’s design features a test port on each of the paired units that measures insertion loss, return loss and length on multimode or single-mode networks. This allows certification of both enterprise networks and the single-fiber circuits found in optical access networks connecting homes and businesses. Arun Jain, director of product marketing for AFL Test and Inspection, said: “The new Rogue OLTS certifier represents a

collaborative effort with customers who asked for a flexible solution that lowered their costs for testingandcertifyingnetworks. We delivered a product that is easy to use, performs multiple tests on almost every network type, and works online or offline.” Rogue is available with dual bi-directional test ports that certify two single-mode fibers at once, without swapping test cords, to accelerate testing high density networks such as data centers. All models can be paired with an optional multi-fiber switch for certifying MPO terminated cables bi- directionally to IEEE 40 and 100G test limits.

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wiredInUSA - March 2020

Image; US Army Corps of Engineers

FTTDam

CenturyLink is taking fiber to dams in Oregon and Washington to help the US Army Corps of Engineers modernize its infrastructure. The operator has five contracts worth a total of $3.4 million over the next five years. CenturyLink’s fiber will provide high speed data transmission services to the Ice Harbor, Little Goose and Lower Granite dams along the lower Snake River in Washington, and the Foster and Green Peters dams along the Columbia River in Oregon, as part of a dam safety program. The dams serve as multi-use critical infrastructure facilities that provide flood risk management, hydropower, navigation, environmental stewardship,

fish and wildlife conservation, and recreation.

CenturyLink’s ethernet solution will eliminate the need for specialized high voltage safety protection equipment, as well as the use of legacy copper cable. “By replacing the legacy copper cables and modernizing the network with fiber, CenturyLink is helping the Army Corps of Engineers improve its safety posture and better protect critical infrastructure,” said David Young, CenturyLink senior vice president, public sector. The Army Corps of Engineers operates and maintains approximately 700 dams in Puerto Rico and across the US.

wiredInUSA - March 2020

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Cable cutting

CDM Electronics has announced the Times Microwave Systems’ CCT-03 coaxial cable cutting tool. The tool is designed to cut Times Microwave’s ≤ 0.600-inch diameter coaxial cable with a single cut. The cutter can be used by operators of any skill level, and is designed to minimize waste as well as ensure cables are cut and prepared, accurately and consistently, to optimize connector termination. The tool leaves no metallic residue, which eliminates the need for wire brushing.

The CCT-03 is precision-engineered to cut Times Microwave’s LMR-600 (or smaller) low-loss, all purpose coaxial cable, and the TCOM-600 (and smaller) flexible, low- loss passive intermod coaxial cable. It is also suitable for RG standard coaxial cable with a solid center conductor and a diameter of ≤ 0.600-inch. Tested to 1,000 cut cycles, the CCT-03 slices through cable jacket, outer braid, and foam dielectric, and scribes the center conductor before snapping it.

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wiredInUSA - March 2020

Copper expansion

SDI La Farga LLC is embarking on a $16 million expansion project to increase production capacity at its New Haven, Allen County facility. The company will add a second furnace to melt recycled copper. SDI La Farga’s president, Kurt Breischaft, said: “We are extremely excited to begin this next chapter in the history of SDI La Farga. We continually look for new and betterways to serveour customers, and this

expansion … will help us do exactly that. We look forward to offering more choices of high quality copper rod and wire to customers throughout the Midwest.” The plant reclaims and refines scrap copper, using it to produce copper rod and wire. SDI La Farga LLC is a joint venture between Fort Wayne-based Steel Dynamics Inc and the La Farga Group based in Barcelona, Spain.

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Photo by Umberto on Unsplash

Acquisition could spark a surge in connections

German fiber network builder Deutsche Glasfaser has been acquired by investment companies EQT andOmers in adeal valued at $3 billion. The companies have pledged to invest over $7.6 billion in the rollout of high speed broadband infrastructure in Germany following the takeover. An official statement on the deal, published by EQT, says Deutsche Glasfaser will be combined with inexio, another broadband infrastructure business that it owns which provides Internet access to 300,000

households and 6,000 businesses. It expects the tie-up to result in cost savings and allow it to speed up the fiber rollout in rural areas of Germany. Omers said its partnership with EQT would help to support “ambitious growth plans by Deutsche Glasfaser and inexio”. Deutsche Glasfaser has a contract with Deutsche Telekom, to use Glasfaser’s fiber network in the city of Lüdinghausen. The companies expect the acquisition transaction to close in the second quarter of 2020.

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EUROPE NEWS

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RRS Sir David Attenborough. Photograph courtesy of BSE via ship technology

Cables on ice

UK-based Elmeridge Cables Ltd has recently fulfilled two contracts for the British Antarctic Survey. Elmeridge was contracted to supply two lengths of double-armored CTD (conductivity, temperature and depth) cable for two Royal Research Survey vessels. The contracts were for a single 8,000m length for the RRS James Clark Ross and a single 10,000m length for the RRS Sir David Attenborough.

deployment and recovery, no grease or oil could be applied on, or to the galvanized improved plow steel (GIPS) armor wires – an assurance we were happy to give,” said Des Smith, owner/managing director at Elmeridge Cables. He added that BAS also gave strict specifications for the diameter and width of the cable drums, even down to the hole size for the spindle, to allow direct loading and unloading of the drums to and from the winches on board both vessels.

“[British Antarctic Survey] stipulated that to avoid slippage on the winch during

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wiredInUSA - March 2020

Compensator for German grid

High speed, high content

Following the successful deployment of over 10,000 new 100GbE ports last year, Telia Carrier has launched its 400GbE- ready network. Both deployments feature Cisco cloud-scale routing technology. The upgraded carrier network uses Cisco NCS5500 series routers, providing a level of network density that enables more content streaming, gaming and connectivity. These services will be delivered at speeds between 1GbE and 400GbE. The ongoing standardization of 400GE coherent technologies is incentivizing new simplified, and partially disaggregated, IP over DWDM architectures. Staffan Göjeryd, CEO at Telia Carrier, said: “Conventional architectures and technologies, built on decades of accumulated complexity and yesterday’s truths, fall short in helping us keep up with customer demands for more consistent bandwidth and a high quality experience. This is especially true as more value is shifting to software; hardware cycles are becoming shorter and ongoing 400G standardization is poised to finally disrupt the optical networking market.”

Image: ABB

ABB’s power grids business has completed its installationof ahybrid staticcompensator (Statcom) for the transmission system operator TenneT. The Statcom is located in the Borken substation in the federal state of Hessen, and was officially inaugurated in late-January. With its ability to combine dynamic and static reactive power compensation on a 30% reduced footprint, the solution will stabilize the German power grid by providing reactive power compensation and dynamic voltage support to maintain the grid at the required voltage. Germany is increasing its share of renewables, which grew in 2019 by 5.4% to 46%. The country is expected to continue the investment to reach its target of 65% of the country’s total power mix by 2030. As a result, a huge amount of reactive power will be needed to balance and stabilize the national grid as more centralized fossil power generation is phased out and replaced by more intermittent sources of energy. Much of Germany’s renewable power is generated in the north and east of the country, and transmitted in bulk to the south where there is a deficit.

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Sunshine State solar

New addition to the group

Construction work has begun on Royal Dutch Shell’s 120MW solar installation in southwest Queensland. The 120MW Gangarri solar farm will be near Wandoan, on land that forms part of the company’s QGC fracking operations. The solar farm is expected to use around 400,000 PV panels. Shell Energy Australia will be the foundation customer for the project, with an equivalent amount of electricity purchased from the national grid and sold to Shell’s QGC business. The project is scheduled for completion in early 2021. “This is Shell’s first global investment in an industrial-scale solar farm, and we are proud to be investing in the Sunshine State as a key center of activity ... to expand our integrated power business,” said Shell Australia chairman Tony Nunan. Lynham said Shell’s PV investment follows AGL and Vena Energy’s announcement of Queensland’s biggest battery, to be located near to the Gangarri solar farm. The battery system will have an initial capacity of 100MW and store 150MWh of energy, marking the first stage of a major renewable project that could supply 1GW solar capacity.

Image: MFL Group

As of January 2020, Mario Frigerio SpA has acquired the intellectual property rights of Ernst Koch GmbH+Co KG of Germany. Ernst Koch GmbH has manufactured wire drawing machines since the 1930s. The company designs and produces industrial machines for the manufacture of steel wire, including drawing machines and spoolers. With the acquisition, the parent MFL Group will be strengthening its presence in Germany and will augment its wire and rope product portfolio with reinforcement steel wire and cold heading wire lines.

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wiredInUSA - March 2020

Fusion developments

Smaller footprint for power cables

Image: Assystem

Nuclear engineering company Assystem has been awarded the contract for the final design phase 1 and prototype testing of the divertor remote handling system (DRHS) for the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) project, the world’s largest fusion energy device. The DRHS is one of the first remote handling systems to be provided as part of the European contribution to ITER by Fusion For Energy (F4E), the EU organization responsible for Europe’s involvement in the project. ITER is projected to achieve first plasma by 2025 — this means the reactor will generate a molten mass of electrically charged gas (plasma) inside the core. Assystem will be collaborating with European partner organizations including RACE (UK), Tamlink (Finland) and Wälischmiller (Germany). Through 2020 the DRHS teamwill be expanded in preparation for full final design, to begin in early 2021.

NKT is successfully recycling the XLPE material used as insulation in power cables. The recycling process has been co-developed with the Swedish research institute RISE IVF, and with manufacturers AXJO Plastic and Borealis. Alexander Kara, president and CEO of NKT, said: “I am proud that NKT leads the way in recycling of material from power cable production, showing that recycling of XLPE is possible at an industrialized scale. With the recycling of XLPE from production sites in Sweden, Denmark and Germany, we are taking a significant step in our ambition to decrease the carbon footprint and ensure a sustainable lifecycle for our power cable portfolio.” AXJO Plastic is now manufacturing robust cable drums from the recycled XLPE material. Material costs are reduced, compared to new raw materials, and approximately two tonnes of CO 2 are saved for every tonne of recycled XLPE. “A stronger focus on sustainability in our supply chain is a natural step when reducing the overall carbon footprint of our power cables,” Kara added. In addition, NKT powers its high voltage factories on 100 percent green electricity. NKT is successfully recycling the XLPE material used as insulation in power cables

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Monopiles secure subsea footing

Changes in power share

Data from study, “The European Power Sector in 2019”, carried out by Agora Energiewende and UK-based Sandbag, shows the EU electricity sector saw a drop of 12% in CO 2 emissions during 2019, compared to 2018 levels, while the share of renewables in EU-wide electricity production rose to almost 35%. Greenhouse gas emissions from EU power plants declined more sharply in 2019 than in any year since at least 1990. In all, emissions fell by 120 million tonnes due to the collapse in generation from hard coal- and lignite- fired power plants, which decreased 24% across Europe. Around 50% of the electricity that would have otherwise been produced from coal instead came from gas-fired power plants and renewables. For the first time throughout the EU the share of green energy in electricity generation grew to 34.6%, with wind and solar power plants delivering more electricity than coal- fired power plants. All EU countries with coal-powered plants recorded a drop in the production of coal electricity; the total volume sank by 24%, or around 150TWh.

Photo by Nicholas Doherty on Unsplash DEME Offshore and Herrenknecht have signed an agreement for the fabrication of a subsea drill to be deployed at the Saint- Nazaire offshore wind farm in France. It will be the first wind farm to use drilled XL- monopile foundations. In 2019 a consortium that included DEME Offshore and Eiffage Métal was awarded the EPCI contract for 80 foundations for the facility, to include the design, fabrication, transportation and installation of the steel foundations. The 480MW Saint-Nazaire wind farm, owned by EDF Renewables and Enbridge, will be located between 12km and 20km off the coast of the Guérande peninsula in western France. The XL-monopile foundations will be installed on a hazardous, rocky seabed. DEME Offshore and Herrenknecht are creating a custom-made subsea drill specifically for the project, which will be deployed from DEME Offshore’s installation vessel Innovation .

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ASIA & AFRICA NEWS

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Photo by Max on Unsplash

Protection by stealth

BGN Technologies, the technology-transfer company of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), Israel, has developed what it describes as the first all-optical “stealth” encryption technology for highly sensitive cloud-computing and data center network transmission. Instead of using one color of the light spectrum to send one large data stream, BGN’s method spreads the transmission across many colors in the optical spectrum bandwidth, creating multiple weaker data streams hidden under “noise” and, so, evading detection. Every transmission, whether analog, digital or optical, has a certain amount of noise. The researchers demonstrated that they can transmit weaker encrypted data that cannot be detected under the stronger inherent noise level.

phase of each wavelength. That process also appears as noise, which destroys the “coherence” or ability to recompile the data without the correct encryption key. The optical phase mask cannot be recorded offline, so the data is destroyed if a hacker tries to decode it. “The breakthrough is that, if you can’t detect it, you can’t steal it,” explained Professor Dan Sadot, director of the Optical Communications Research Laboratory, and leader of the team that developed the technology. “Because an eavesdropper can neither read the data nor even detect the existence of the transmitted signal, our optical stealth transmission provides the highest level of privacy and security for sensitive data applications.” BGN is now seeking an industry partner to implement and commercialize the patented technology.

The solution also employs a commercially available phase mask, which changes the

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wiredInUSA - March 2020

Meeting increasing demand

Korea buys local

LS Cable and System has signed a contract with Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) to supplyHVDCcables. Theproject is for the stable supply of power to industrial complexes in the metropolitan area using a 35km transmission line between the power plant in Seohaean Chungnam to Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do. A single HVDC line can carry 3GWof power, equal to the power generated from three nuclear power plants. This is the world’s largest power transmission capacity and is 4.5 times more than existing HVAC cable. This is the fourth project in the Korean domestic HVDC market since European cables were installed between Haenam and Jeju in 1997. That project was before cables were developed in Korea: LS C&S was given the next three projects. President and CEO of LS C&S, Roe-hyun Myung, said: “Korea is leading the global next-generation power business with HVDC and hyper-conductive cables, fueled by KEPCO’s energy efficiency business. Based on [the] technological independence achieved in Korea, we will actively expand our overseas markets.”

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL) has used Nokia technology to expand the capacity of its recently installed 100G transport network to a 200G optical network. The capacity expansion has been carried out in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi to keep pacewith the regions’ growing capacity demands. PTCL is believed the first operator in Pakistan to deploy high-performance 200G 8-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) — an optical long-haul technology that offers greater capacity at lower cost. The upgrade of its optical network allows PTCL to flexibly enhance network capacity with the software defined network (SDN) capabilities of the Nokia optical solution. Nokia’s “flexgrid” technology will allow PTCL to easily upgrade to 300G or 400G at some point in the future over the same installed base.

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Precise splice

Cable company seeks a deal

The new core alignment fusion splicer unit from Fujikura A new core alignment fusion splicer unit from Fujikura, the 90S, is described as offering a range of enhancements over its previous 70S+ system that will increase precision while reducing splice time. Splice process time reductions derive from acceleration of the reaction time of the automated wind protectors and automated heater, new fiber retention clamps, redesigned universal sheath clamps and a re-engineered internal structure that matches the protection sleeve position to the fusion splice point. Once the splicing process is underway there is no need for the technician to touch the unit. Fujikura’s “truecorealignment technology” and enhanced image processing enable the 90S to produce precise and consistent results. The 90S also benefits from Fujikura’s Active Blade Management technology, which enables two CT50 cleavers to be connected simultaneously to the unit. Cleaver performance is continuously monitored, with an alert when the blade needs to be rotated.

East African Cables, a manufacturer of electric and telecoms cables sold across east and central Africa, is looking to restructure nearly 20 percent of its bank debt, including a $2.83 million loan for a local lender that has sought to wind up the company. In 2019 the company, and its parent TransCentury Group, restructured 82 percent of their debts. “The company... has made significant progress to complete the remaining phase which includes the debt with SBM Bank Kenya Ltd,” it said in a statement. TransCentury, founded by a group of Kenyan investors in 1997, invested in a range of infrastructure companies that included East African Cables, but has struggled with a heavy debt burden, losses, and a plunge in its share price.

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Djibouti plans its first wind farm

Securing the dry season power supply

A wind power project consortium has approved funding for the construction and operation of a 60MW wind farm in the Ghoubet area, near Lake Assal in Djibouti. The consortium, consisting of Africa Finance Corporation, Climate Fund Managers, FMO — a Dutch development bank, and Great Horn Investment Holdings, aims to support Djibouti in meeting its expanding energy needs through this first wind farm for the region. The wind project is hoped to foster industrialization by reducing the reliance on expensive or unstable sources of power generation. Djibouti is dependent on domestic thermal power production and power imports from Ethiopia, and is in need of further domestic production. The country is moving towards 100 percent renewable- energy-based electricity production and a 40 percent reduction in emissions by 2030. The project is owned and operated by Djibouti-based Red Sea Power Ltd SAS, and is expected to start commercial operations in 2022.

Cambodia’s government has approved twonewcoal-firedpower projects, capable of generating up to 1GW. The country’s Council of Ministers has given permission for the construction of the power plants and of a 230kW transmission line, said to cost $1.7 billion. Han Seng Coal Mine (HSCMC) will invest in a 265MW power plant in Oddar Meanchey province’s Trapaing Prasat district, while Royal Group will develop a 700MW plant in Koh Kong province. Royal Group will import the necessary coal, but HSCMC will use domestic coal. The projects are in line with Cambodia’s plan for the development of additional power sources between 2020 and 2030, helping to ensure the security of electricity supplies for the country particularly during the dry season, when hydropower generation falls. HSCMC’s coal-fired power plant will be operational by early 2022, the council said, with Royal Group’s power plant coming online in 2023 or 2024.

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Rural improvements

Widespread transmission contracts

Minister Samuel Tweah Jr

The African Development Fund (ADF) has approved a $34.74 million grant and loan for projects to improve access to renewable energy in Liberia. The funds will contribute to the construction of a mini dam on the St John River in northeastern Liberia, and the development of the Gbedin Hydropower Falls. A total capacity of 9.34MW of power will be transmitted through an 8km, 33kV line to connect 7,000 households. The system will allow for grid expansion to isolated communities and will support the connection of schools, health centers, businesses and industries to the national grid, increasing the rural electrification rate in Liberia. Minister Samuel Tweah Jr said the project, scheduled for completion by 2024, will assist economic development in the country by securing access to a reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity supply.

Photo by Max Lederer on Unsplash The power transmission and distribution business unit of Indian engineering and construction firm Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has the contract to build a 380kV substation in Saudi Arabia, together with its associated 230kV cable network and two transmission line corridors. Elsewhere in the Middle East, L&T has been contracted for the construction of extra-high voltage overhead lines. On its home turf, L&T has an order for the construction of a 765kV double circuit transmission line in the state of Gujarat, carrying power from renewable energy sources.

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Products, Machines & Technology

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Variable grommet icotek has launched a newcable grommet, the KT-SC, with peelable membrane rings removable rings with graduated sealing areas. The KT-SC is based on icotek’s grommet size “KT large”, and allows the routing and sealing of cables and hoses with diameters of 5mm to 28mm. The single membrane rings can be peeled away according to the diameter of the routed cable or hose. The rings are marked with the letters A to F, showing the corresponding diameter of the cable to be inserted. The KT-SC can be integrated into all divisible cable entry frames (KEL, KEL-U, KEL-ER, KVT and KEL- FG) that accommodate large KT cable grommets. The halogen-free and silicone-free KT-SC is made of elastomer, achieves IP54 class and is suitable for a temperature range between –40° and +100°C. SBQ mill A new Draw Sizing Danieli (DSD) technology system has been installed as part of SIMEC’s 600,000-ton-per-year, special bar quality steel mill in the city of Apizaco, Mexico. The four-roll stand DSD mill combines free- sizing process capability, a fast stand- changing system, anda robotizedworkshop

for bar rolling to precise shape tolerances up to 1/8 DIN.

S S The new Draw Sizing Danieli (DSD) technology system being installed in Mexico

T he Danieli Automation Q-shape system maintains continuous automatic control of the machine, setting parameters through the measurement of the rolled bar sizes detected by the Hi-Profile gauge installed downstream. Looking for a cure? Flexible vulcanized joints (FVJ), also known as flexible factory joints, are typically used in extending delivery lengths of extruded subsea cables. Lengths of XLPE insulated cable core can be limited by the capacity of extrusion, degassing or basket lay-up, but factory joints avoid these constraints. However, the factory joint needs to have similar physical, thermal, electrical and mechanical properties as the cable itself.

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energy efficiency, reducecarbonemissions, and accelerate the uptake of renewable energy sources on the largest possible scale.

Maillefer’s joint curing calculation (JCC) software was specifically developed for extruded subsea cable. It simulates and opti mizes the vulcanization time of the restored insulation layer and ensures sufficient crosslinking throughout the joint insulation. A degassing optimization module is also available to fine-tune the degassing time and to ensure sufficiently low methane concentrations. The degassing module in JCC software provides insight into methane diffusion during the degassing process and optimizes the degassing time. Maillefer can also provide consultation services for the equipment required to manufacture factory joints of HVAC subsea cables up to 1,600mm 245kV, as well as assistance for qualification purposes, including type-test (T-T) and pre- qualification (PQ). Seeking sustainability Borealis has laid out a sustainability strategy to enhance sustainable development in all aspects of company operations and to identify business growth opportunities that promote greater sustainability.

As a n example, a Borealis HVDC cable compound based on Borealis Borlink™ technology will be used in crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) power cables qualified for the tender of the German “corridor projects”. The corridor undertaking will transport renewable energy from wind farms, off the north coast of Germany, to southern areas of the country. NKT has completed the qualification of its sustainably produced 525kV high voltage DC XLPE underground power cable to match the requirements for the high voltage DC corridor projects. These projects are a vital step in Germany’s energy transition to renewable sources. Borlink™ LS4258DCE is an unfilled XLPE insulation compound, which, along with the accompanying HVDC semicon Borlink™ LE0550DC, was initially launched in 2014. S S The Borealis HVDC cable compound based on Borealis Borlink™ technology

In practice, this means developing polyolefins-based solutions that enhance

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Squeezing in more blown fiber Prysmian Group has launched a Sirocco High Density range of blown microduct cables. The new range offers fiber densities of up to 10.5 fibers per mm 2 . Sirocco HD cables use Prysmian’s BendBright-A2 200µm single-mode bend insensitive fiber, described by Ian Griffiths, director R&D telecom business at Prysmian Group, as “a crucial part of the world’s shift towards flexible and reliable connectivity. “With their extreme fiber count and reduced diameter, Sirocco HD microduct cables make installation faster, more cost effective, and more sustainable, by reducing the impact on carbon footprint.” Available in fiber counts from 96 to 552 and conforming to international standards for optical and mechanical performance, Sirocco HD cables also benefit from Prysmian’s PicoTube technology, making them up to 20 percent smaller than previously available microduct cables. This makes it possible to install more fibers into congested duct space, and enables the use of smaller ducts for new installations.

High performance, low impact Prysmian Group is relaunching its P-Laser cable, after ten years on the market and over 50,000km of produced cable. Based on a zero-emission process, P-Laser is said to represent the first 100 percent recyclable, eco-sustainable, high performance cable technology, yet is fully compatible with existing cables and accessories. The P-Laser cable system is based on a patented thermoplastic material, HPTE (high performance thermoplastic elastomer), ensuring that the products are fully recyclable. It also presents a simplified manufacturing process and lower environmental impact than the traditional XLPE (cross-linked polyethylene). P-Laser cables aremanufactured at a single continuous production facility, and no chemical reactions are needed to produce the strong, stable electrical properties required for MV and HVDC systems. Production times are reduced, as are the related power consumption and gas emissions.

The relaunched cable can be used in power grids, renewable energy projects,

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wire speeds and the ability to achieve high levels of surface finish mean more throughput and increased efficiencies.”

and underground and submarine HVDC cable systems.

Improving on brass Erodex UK Ltd, a supplier of EDM wire and wear parts, has introduced Gapstar One, describing it as “the fastest EDM speed wire available in the UK”. The wire was developed by Berkenhoff GmbH and is marketed under the Bedra brand. Brendan Kelly, a technical sales engineer at Erodex, said: “As well as increasing speeds by 40 to 60 percent, compared to standard brass wire, and typically more than 10 percent compared to our Boline H product, users will also benefit from increased feed rates - in both rough and skim cuts - without necessarily adjusting current settings. “A further benefit is the reduced wear on wire guides and power contacts, reducing both downtime and costs; and thanks to the newly developed Trimpac coating, a finish of Ra0 .25µm can be expected, along with increased stiffness and straightness for auto threading.” Gapstar One is available with tensile strengths of 900N/mm 2 and 500N/mm 2 , and is compatible with all brands of machines. Kelly added: “While Gapstar One costs more than brass wire, significantly increased

S S Gapstar One launched by ErodexBorlink™ technology

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EDITORIAL Index

ABB AFL

30 23 39 33 32 13 35 42 25 24 30 13 41 33 27 37 33 29 27 44 11 37 11 38

Herrenknecht

33 22 41 16 36 14 42 31

Hilti

The African Development Fund

Icotek

Agora Energiewende

Lapp USA

Assystem

LS Cable and System

Avangrid Renewables

Luxshare-ICT

BGN Technologies

Maillefer

Borealis

Mario Frigerio SpA Messe Düsseldorf

CDM Electronics

9

CenturyLink

NKT

32, 42

Cisco

Nucor Steel

15 20

Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners

OMC

Danieli

Omers 27 Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd 36 Prysmian Group 43 Royal Dutch Shell 31 Sandbag 33 SDI La Farga LLC 26 SIMEC 41 Spectra7 Microsystems 14 Telia Carrier 30 Times Microwave Systems 25 Valley Forge and Bolt 18

DEME Offshore

Deutsche Glasfaser East African Cables

Eiffage Métal

Elmeridge Cables Ltd

EQT

Erodex UK Ltd

Facebook

Fujikura Google

Han Seng Coal Mine

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