U.S.-based Primetals Technologies reports that it has received a Final Acceptance Certificate (FAC) from Celsa France for a major upgrade to the finishing end of the company’s wire rod mill in Bayonne, France.

A Primetals posting said that the company replaced a problematic finishing block and reform station “that had been supplied by a third party and had repeatedly caused unplanned downtime.” With the new equipment in place, Celsa France has significantly increased mill availability and production levels while improving product quality and reducing operational costs.

The upgrade included a new 10‑stand Morgan Vee No‑Twist Mill designed to operate at speeds up to 105 meters per second across low‑, medium‑, and high‑carbon steel grades. The installation also included a 3‑Hi speed increaser gearbox that links the new mill to Celsa France’s existing motor position, demonstrating the design flexibility and compatibility of the technology. The upgrade has already led to quicker, more efficient rolling, reduced maintenance costs, and shorter roll change times.

The project also saw the replacement of the 1,200 mm reform tub. Equipped with a patented ring distributor, the new tub minimizes coil height, eliminates stray rings, and ensures tangle‑free payoff. These improvements have dramatically reduced delays in downstream processing, further enhancing overall productivity.

Celsa France was described as Europe’s first circular, low‑emission steel producer, recycling ferrous scrap in electric arc furnaces to produce steel for construction, automotive, energy, and oil and gas sectors. The Bayonne upgrade strengthens this position by ensuring that the company’s wire rod production is both efficient and environmentally responsible.

According to Celsa France, the Bayonne facility produces about 550,000 tons of rolled products annually, primarily wire rod. The recent upgrade adds to an earlier €65‑million investment that created around 140 direct and 420 indirect jobs across France and Spain.

South Korea’s LS Cable & Wire (LS C&W) announced that it will supply busducts to a large U.S. tech company that marks its full-scale entry into the global AI data center (AIDC) power market.

A press release said that the deal could be worth more than $340 million over three years. The order, from an unnamed U.S. customer, is for data centers “in North America and other regions.” To meet demand, LS C&W has strengthened its global busduct production in South Korea, North America and Vietnam.

Last May, LS C&W announced it would build two new factories to make busducts and electric vehicle (EV) battery components on a 126,000-sq-m site in an industrial park. At that time, it also had busduct production plants in in Gumi, Wuxi, and Ho Chi Minh City. “The completion of the new plant currently under construction in Mexico is expected to further enhance supply efficiency and delivery competitiveness for North American customers.”

LS Eco Energy will cover the Southeast Asian market centered in Vietnam. In October, it supplied busducts to a 50 MW class hyperscale data center in Indonesia. The LS Cable & System Mexico plant will cover the North American market.

The company stated that its busduct activity could be even greater as LS C&W is in negotiations with another large global tech company. “We will secure the leading position in the power infrastructure competition in the era of AI,” said Kim Woo-tae, head of LS Cable & System’s Power Distribution Solution Division.

Epsilon Composite has taken a major step in expanding its presence in the power transmission sector with the opening of the French company’s subsidiary, HindEpsilon Composite, headquartered in Chennai, India, and incorporated in October 2025.

A press release said that HindEpsilon Composite will focus on manufacturing high-temperature, low-sag composite core conductors (HVCRC®) designed to increase the capacity, efficiency, and reliability of overhead power lines. The subsidiary is the first step in Epsilon’s plan to establish a local factory in India that will produce composite cores and other high-performance parts, supporting the Indian government’s “Make in India” initiative.

Epsilon Cable, through HindEpsilon and collaborations with local partners, has already secured significant reconductoring projects in Indian states such as Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Assam. The subsidiary has engaged with key Indian power sector stakeholders, including the Ministry of Power, Central Electricity Authority (CEA), and Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. Epsilon has also formed strategic partnerships with Indian stranders such as Transrail Lighting Ltd., Lumino Industries and Shashi Cables Ltd. to help supply and deploy HVCRC technology across the country.

Epsilon Composite’s headquarters and primary manufacturing facility remain in Gaillan-en-Médoc, France, where the company produces pultruded carbon fiber composite cores used in high-voltage conductors worldwide. It has regional offices in Japan, Central Europe, Mexico, and Italy, and HindEpsilon Composite will be the key subsidiary involved directly in wire and cable manufacturing and local production in India.

Epsilon has strategic partnerships with Indian stranders, including Transrail Lighting Ltd, Lumino Industries, and Shashi Cables Ltd, to help supply and deploy the HVCRC technology across the country.

France’s Orange Marine has ordered two new cable laying and repair vessels designed for subsea telecommunications operations from Sri Lanka shipbuilder Colombo Dockyard PLC (CDPLC).

A press release said that the vessels to be made by CDPLC will be designed by Norway’s Vard Design AS. The vessels will have optimized hull forms and bow shapes to enable high speeds and reduce fuel consumption, meeting Bureau Veritas classification society standards and French Flag Authority regulatory requirements. Delivery of these new vessels is anticipated for 2028 and 2029.

“These new vessels will allow (us) to operate the most modern cable ship fleet in the world, serving all our customers across the globe with an optimized environmental footprint,” said Didier Dillard, president of Orange Marine and Elettra Tlc.

The vessels will focus on cable laying, repair, and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) inspection duties. Each vessel will have an Orange Marine–designed ROV for cutting, inspecting, and burying subsea cables. The design prioritizes strong sea-keeping and excellent station-keeping performance while minimizing environmental impact, aligning with BV CLEANSHIP low fuel consumption standards.

Orange Marine, a global leader in submarine telecommunications, specializes in engineering, installation and maintenance of intercontinental and regional cable links. The company notes that its fleet represents 12% of the world’s cable maintenance ships.