WCA September 2009

news

Exhibitors and visitors to the Metallurgy-Litmash, Tube Russia, Aluminium Non-Ferrous and wire Russia exhibitions expressed opti- mism for the future, despite the slump in global markets. The concurrent trade fairs provide a platform for the metallurgy, wire and cable industries of the emerging Russian market and its neighbouring states. The event attracted over 9,200 visitors, while wire Russia’s 214 exhibitors represented 29 countries. A spokesman for the International Wire and Machinery Association (IWMA) confirmed the success of wire Russia for its members, adding: “We were pleasantly surprised at the level of enquiries from interested organisations.” wire Russia is next scheduled for spring 2011. Messe Düsseldorf – Germany Website : www.wire-russia.com wire Russia exceeds expectations

Sustainable cable partnership

Dow Wire & Cable has announced a multi-disciplinary project in the UK, focused on the development of sustainable power cable material technologies. Through this project, Dow Wire & Cable aims to identify the next generation of plastic cable materials for the power generation industry, capable of delivering improved whole-life performance with a reduced environmental impact. The sustainable power cable materials project is sponsored by the Technology Strategy Board, an executive non-departmental public body established by the British government in 2007 to stimulate technology-enabled innovation. It will bring Dow’s power cable material experts together with a multi- disciplinary team drawn from three other project partners: National Grid plc, the owner and operator of the high-voltage electricity transmission network across England and Wales; the University of Southampton; and

GnoSys UK, a science and technology company established from the Polymer Research Centre at the University of Surrey. The project is initiated at a time when there is a move in the UK and across Europe to place more of the electric power network underground, parti- cularly in areas of outstanding beauty and in major cities. It will seek to provide an answer to the question of whether such cables can ever be considered to be environmentally friendly, with a low carbon footprint. In addition, with the growing emphasis on ensuring the long-term security and reliability of power supply, and the need to improve the amount of power that can be transported around the country, the project will consider whether it is compatible to meet such needs while using a cable that may be recycled at the end of its life. Dow Wire & Cable – Switzerland Website : www.dowwireandcable.com

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Wire & Cable ASIA – September/October 2009