TPi January 2015

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January 2015 Tube Products International 53
Smal l diameter, high precision tubes
programmes. It’s also important to point
out that our nuclear expertise spins off
into other areas of the global energy
industry, including the alternative energy
sector.
For example, we contributed to the
highly innovative solar power plant
Gemasolar, near Seville in Spain. We
developed and produced the corrosion-
resistant heat exchanger tubes for the
steam generators as well as the high
performance tubing that makes up
Gemasolar’s central tower receiver.
Where are Fine Tubes and Superior Tube
currently working on nuclear projects?
Our nuclear tubes are deployed in
plants in the EU, USA, Canada, India
and China. We are also seeing demand
from the Middle East, Russia and Brazil.
A report published by the OECD (Organ-
isation for Economic Co-operation
and Development) in September 2014
projects that world nuclear electricity
generation by 2035 is expected to
increase between 7 per cent on the low
side and 82 per cent on the high side.
We intend to be an important partner to
nuclear customers in that growth.
How do you add value for your
customers?
First and foremost through flexibility.
Flexibility is key throughout the entire
business development relationship
with our customers where we become
an integral part of the technical and
engineering team. Our technical skill set
and expertise mean that we are not just
able to join the technical discussion but
actively lead the innovation process.
This way we can add value and reduce
cost for our customers.
Neither Fine Tubes nor Superior Tube is
an integrated producer of raw material.
However, this becomes a strength for us
because of our strong relationships with
many of the world’s best producers.
This gives us the breadth of competitive
material options needed to offer the best
technical solutions for our customers.
Our company size and global footprint
also enable us to offer competitive
lead times, and with our production
capabilities we can offer seamless
as well as welded and redrawn high
precision tubing or a combination of
both in a wide range of stainless steels,
nickel, titanium and zirconium alloys,
which makes us unique in our product
offering.
Fine Tubes Ltd – UK
Tube for fuel cans