WCA July 2009

news

Madem establishes an ecological park

Madem was founded in March of 1949 in the city of Bento Gonçalves, Brazil. Initially Madem manufactured wine barrels, but in 1971 it began production of wood packaging, pallets, and reels dedicated to carrying wire and cable. In 1975, the Rio Negro plant was opened to manufacture wood reels. Since the 1970s, with the launch of the Rio Negro operation, the Madem Group has been committed to sustainable development and the preservation of the environment. Firm believers in environmental responsibility and sustainable development, Madem was the first company in the region, and third in the state of Paraná, to attain quality management system ISO 9002 (in 1996) and ISO 14000 for environmental management in 2000. Today, the company still believes in ‘Going Green’ and recently demonstrated this commitment to the environment by acquiring a large tract of forest beside its manufacturing plant. The 91,000m 2 tract of pine forest within the Paraná Pine forest shelters hundreds of species of flora and fauna, making the area very interesting from a conservation perspective. The aim of the Madem park is to create a leisure and recreation space to enrich the quality of life of its visitors, to support the conservation and planting of native tree species, and to sustain a permanent home for the local fauna. It will also help develop environmental awareness through the proper use of the community’s special environmental qualities. The Madem Eco Park has a 3,000m trail and suspension bridge, and will be open to the public with a permit from the Agriculture and Environment Secretary.

Madem Reels – Brazil Fax : +55 54 3462 5900

Email : madem@madem.com.br Website : www.mademreels.com

Single largest order for HTS

By replacing copper cables with high-capacity superconductor cables in cities using existing underground tunnels and ductwork, utilities can avoid digging up city streets while also relieving grid congestion. This project builds on the success of Korea’s Development of Advanced Power Systems by Applied Super- conductivity technologies (DAPAS) programme, which has provided more than $100 million in funding for the development and commercialisation of superconductor systems. In 2006, LS Cable and the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) successfully tested a 30-metre, 22.9kV superconductor cable. In 2007, LS Cable and KERI completed testing a 100-metre, 22.9 kV superconductor cable system.

American Superconductor Corporation has announced that LS Cable has ordered 80,000 metres (50 miles) of 344 superconductors, AMSC’s proprietary brand of second generation (2G) high temperature superconductor (HTS) wire. LS Cable will utilise the wire to manufacture a 22.9kV cable system that it will install in Korea Electric Power Corporation’s (KEPCO) commercial power delivery network near the city of Seoul in 2010. This is believed to be the single largest commercial order for 2G HTS wire in the world. Under the terms of the contract, AMSC will deliver the wire to LS Cable by the end of 2009. LS Cable will then strand the wire into a superconductor cable system capable of carrying 50 megawatts of power. A power cable made with HTS wire can conduct up to ten times the amount of power of the same diameter cable made with copper wire.

AMSC – USA Website : www.amsc.com

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Wire & Cable ASIA – July/August 2009