4/3/2022 - Earlier this year, LS Group’s cable manufacturing unit, LS Cable & System (LSCS), officially opened its new power cable plant in Indonesia, a joint venture.

A press release said that the new plant, called LSAGI, is a joint venture between LSCS and Artha Graha Network, Indonesia’s 10th-largest conglomerate. The Korean firm owns a 75% stake in the entity.

The plant, located on a 64,000-square-meter site in the Artha Industrial Complex near Jakarta, will mainly produce overhead wires for power transmission and distribution and low-voltage cables for buildings and plants.

LSCS said it aims to expand its presence in the Southeast Asian country by taking advantage of its local partnership business experience and sales networks ranging from banks to hotels. “In the cable industry, each country is strengthening policies to protect its own companies,” an LS official said. “We will pursue different strategies for different markets to better meet the local demands.”

The firm also expected a quick recovery of the pandemic-hit cable market, citing Indonesia’s planned relocation of its capital from Jakarta to a jungled area of Kalimantan on Borneo island, which involves a $32 billion mega development project. LSCS now operates a total of 12 production facilities around the world, including in the U.S., Poland, Vietnam and China.

4/3/2022 - Egypt and Greece have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to partner further growth of their cable infrastructure.

Per multiple media reports, Telecom Egypt, Egypt’s first integrated telecom operator and one of the leading subsea cables operators in the region, and GRID Telecom, subsidiary of the Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO) in Greece, will seek future directions.

The MoU does not spell out a finalized submarine cable system plan, although Egypt plans to spend $60 million to put a fiber-optic cable under the Mediterranean Sea to Greece for data transmission. Egyptian Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat said that technical studies will help determine the most feasible route for the project. He said that Egypt’s strategic location allows it to play a vital role in transferring data from the Middle East to Europe, and a key would be more service paths.

“Egypt and Greece have deep rooted economic, political, and cultural ties, which have united the two countries for over thousands of years given that they are among the oldest civilizations known to humanity,” Talaat said. “The MoU signed between the two companies will contribute to strengthening bilateral cooperation in the field of communications and information technology by maximizing data traffic that crosses the Mediterranean Sea, through Egypt and Greece.”

The strategic agreement allows for exploration of different connectivity options between Greece and Egypt, as well as the optimal use of Telecom Egypt’s and Grid Telecom’s networks and international reach, through their existing and future interconnectivity to neighboring countries.

Telecom Egypt’s international network extends to over 140 landing points in more than 60 countries, while Grid Telecom’s domestic fiber optic network exceeds 4,000 km.

Of note, Egypt’s distinct geographic location makes it a regional data hub, as it transfers traffic to Asia, Africa, and Europe through more than 13 submarine cables, which are scheduled to increase to 18 cables within three years.

“IPTO’s agreement to work with one of the world’s leading subsea cables operators further advances our international growth strategy and can actively contribute to Greece’s emergence as a key telecommunication hub in the broader Mediterranean region,” said IPTO Chairman and CEO Manos Manousakis.

4/3/2022 - Egypt’s Elsewedy Cables has won a six-year contract for the supply of 66kV rated XLPE underground cables for Nexel Denmark.

A press release said that the cables will be manufactured at one of the company’s production facilities in the manufacturing zone of the 10th of Ramadan City in Cairo. They will then be transported to NEXEL sites and storage locations around Denmark as and when required by the customer. The contract also provides an option to deliver associated cable network design services.

Nexel Denmark is part of Andel group, the largest energy supplier and grid operator in Denmark, managing and operating the Cerius and Radius Elnet grids covering 1.4 million customers.

“This prominent contract is a significant milestone for Elsewedy Cables in its drive to become a major supplier of complex medium and high voltage cables in Europe,” the release said. The award is a testimony to our manufacturing capability, quality products and engineering expertise. Elsewedy Cables continuously invests in the latest machinery, technology, and testing facilities to enable the production of cables and accessories that are compliant with stringent European standards.

Elsewedy Cables is a subsidiary of Elsewedy Electric Group which has 15 manufacturing facilities worldwide that produce cables, overhead lines, transformers, and smart meters.

4/3/2022 - Sequel Wire and Cable reports that, since launching the business in Argos, Indiana, in January 2020, it has been successful despite global economic challenges. Those results led to a need for more capacity, and the insulated copper wire manufacturer recently completed an expansion and has hired a new sales manager.

A press release said that in July 2021, after six months of insulating products, Sequel needed to expand production to meet demand. A year later, the Phase 1 production expansion to the 162,000-sq-ft greenfield site has been completed, and is fully operational. The facility expansion has doubled internal wire drawing capabilities, and raised PVC wire output by a third.

The company said that the investments have made for more flexibility and shorter lead times for customers. It has also provided enhanced control since the need to source uninsulated wire externally was significantly reduced. Sequel Wire and Cable also hired Todd Eagan as its new sales manager. See