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

wiredInUSA - March 2020

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