wiredinUSA March 2013

INDEX

Renewable moves in Japan

LS Cable enters new European market

Malaysia levies anti-dumping tax

Fiber optics for NZ

Three New Zealand telecommunications companies are to spend $60 million on a fiber optic cable to link New Zealand with Australia. Telecom, Vodafone and Telstra have announced that they plan to complete the subsea cable by the end of 2014. The cable’s capacity of 30 terabits per second is approximately 300 times New Zealand's current data needs, but will improve the country’s slow Internet speed and, the partners hope, offer a boost to the New Zealand economy. At present, New Zealand relies primarily on one main cable, the Southern Cross cable that extends from Sydney through Auckland and on to Hawaii, to connect to the world. A second, older cable connects Auckland and Sydney and runs near capacity.

After the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Fukushima Daichi nuclear power plant in 2011, the Japanese government is to phase out nuclear power by 2030. In order to meet an ambitious goal, Japan has introduced tariffs to subsidize renewable energy and initiated its first major project. Seven of the largest Japanese conglomerates, including Mitsui and Toshiba, are to build the plant in Tahara City and bring it online by 2014. The plant will generate an annual 67,500 megawatt hours of electricity - equivalent to the annual power consumption of 20,000 homes. The project will demand the collaboration of experienced teams with knowledge of large-scale solar and wind power generation, infrastructure for generation and connective systems, and the creation of new technology. The Japanese government has already approved a number of additional new plants, and is expecting to spend $700 billion on renewable energy by 2030.

LS Cable & System is to supply 150kV submarine cables and 150kV and 275kV extra high voltage underground cable and connection materials to Dong Energy, a Danish state enterpriseand the largest wind power generation company in Europe. The submarine cables will be used in an offshore wind power generation complex to be built by Dong Energy in Westermost Rough on the south-eastern coast of the UK; the extra high voltage underground cables will transmit the energy generated at the complex to an inland transmission site. The order marks LS Cable’s entry into Europe’s offshore wind power generation market, and the company is forecasting a sales increase in the European submarine cable market following its recent performance in the US and theMiddle East.

The Malaysian government has imposed anti-dumping duties on steel wire rod imports from China, Taiwan, Indonesia and South Korea. The levies are expected to be in force for five years. The decision was made after the ministry of international trade and industry completed an investigation into complaints by a domestic producer that steel wire rod imports from the countries, sold at a much lower price, were hurting the domestic industry. China’s Jiangsu Shagang International Trade Co Ltd and Jiangsu Yonggang Group Co Ltd, and Indonesia’s PT Ispat Indo are exempted from the duty.

ASIA / AFRICA NEWS

wiredInUSA - March 2013

wiredInUSA - March 2013

40

41