wiredinUSA August 2011

INDEX

Nexans has announced its intention to build a plant for the manufacture of underground Extra High Voltage (EHV) cables, with possible extension to submarine HV activities, in the United States. Nexans is investing in the new plant to capitalize on the significant investments expected in EHV cables in North America in the coming years. Total investment is expected to be around US$80 million. The plant is expected to begin operation in the summer of 2013. The plant will reinforce Nexans’ current product range in North America, adding to the existing medium voltage, low voltage, overhead transmission, industrial and LAN portfolios. In 2010, North America represented more than 10% of the Group’s total sales with over 1,300 people employed in seven production facilities: four in the US and three in Canada. Nexans plans EHV plant in US

Wind farm chooses copper alternative grounding wire

CommScope Inc will supply the Bishop Hill Wind Farm in Henry County, Illinois, with its GroundSmart™ copper clad steel wire, an alternative to solid and stranded copper that is increasingly in demand, in part for its anti-theft characteristics. CommScope will provide 1.7 million feet of GroundSmart copper clad steel grounding wire to the project during 2011, making it the largest GroundSmart application to date. “Copper clad steel continues to gain in popularity due to the integrity of the material and the suitability of its use in grounding applications as a replacement for copper for wind farms,” said Ric Johnsen, senior vice president, broadband, CommScope.

“Developers and contractors are turning to a practical alternative to solid copper. GroundSmart is the smart alternative to copper, providing high strength and reliability for years. The developers of Bishop Hill see GroundSmart as a simple solution to reducing projects costs without compromising the system’s integrity.” Manufactured by the metallurgical bonding of an outer sleeve of copper to a solid steel core, copper clad steel is specifically designed to disperse fault currents and lightning strikes at a lower total cost of ownership compared to pure copper. With copper theft on the rise, the lower copper content in GroundSmart reduces its attraction for thieves.

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wiredInUSA - August

wiredInUSA - August

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