Nexans has entered into exclusive negotiations with Syntagma Capital, a Belgium-based private equity fund, for the sale of its Telecom and Data business.

A press release said that the proposed transaction “marks Nexans’ exit from the telecom and data activity in line with its strategy to simplify its activities and amplify its impact in electrification markets.” The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of the first half of 2023.

The sale would include eight sites spread across France, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Morocco, China and Singapore that design, produce and commercialize advanced solutions for telecom, LAN networks as well as data centers. These operations constitute the main remaining part of the Telecom & Data division after the sale of Berk-Tek in 2020.

The proposed sale furthers the choice by Nexans to focus on electrification markets. In the company’s 2022 earnings report, CEO Christopher Guérin said that the numbers support that decision. “We were, yet again, proven right in reaffirming our choice: ‘Striving to champion a global sustainable electrification.’ As global grid investments soar, our Electrification businesses are up +12.9% organically, with record EBITDA performance, and all-time high adjusted Generation & Transmission backlog.”

S&P Global Ratings revised its outlook for Nexans from stable to positive and confirmed its ‘BB+’ rating. “Nexans’ operating performance has improved, thanks to progress made in its transformation plan, which focuses on electrification and achieving higher and more stable cash flows.”

At its website, Syntagma notes that the company, established in 2009, invests in businesses that can benefit from its hands-on operational expertise to accelerate growth and improve performance. It has deployed €1.1 billion in over 40 companies with revenues in excess of €4 billion and employing over 11,000 people worldwide.

The team has successfully carved-out businesses from public and private companies, among others, Solvay, Tessenderlo, Ashland, Clariant, Tyco International, Smurfit Kappa, ADT and Getronics.

Nexans SA announced that it has entered into a share purchase agreement with Reka Industrial Plc to acquire Reka Cables for €53 million.

A press release said that the acquisition of the Finnish company will strengthen Nexans’ position in the Nordics, notably in electricity distribution and usages. Founded in 1961, Reka Cables has some 270 employees that manufacture low- and medium-voltages cables.

Reka Cables operates in four countries and was said to have expected 2022 revenues exceeding €160 million. The deal, pending approvals, is expected to be concluded in the first half of 2023. In November 2021, it became one of the first cable manufacturers to become carbon neutral per Scope 1 and Scope 2.

“With a deep commitment to energy transition and carbon neutrality, Reka Cables is fully aligned with the Group’s strategic ambition to become a pure electrification player committed to contribute to carbon neutrality by 2030,” said Nexans CEO Christopher Guérin.

“As a global player in electrification and an active promoter of the energy transition, Nexans is a great fit for Reka Cables,” said Reka Cables CEO Jukka Poutanen.

7/3/2022 - 

Nexans has been selected as the preferred bidder for the award of the supply and installation of the HVDC 500 kV HVDC Mass Impregnated (MI) Cables for the 1,000 MW Cyprus – Greece (Crete) Link for EuroAsia Limited.

A press release said that the EuroAsia Interconnector is a leading project of common interest (PCI) of the European Union. It consists of the electrical interconnection of the power systems of Cyprus-Greece (Crete) and Cyprus-Israel with DC subsea cables and with HVDC converter stations at each connection point. The link will have a total capacity at present stage of 1,000 MW with capability to increase to 2,000 MW. The EuroAsia Interconnector will be the energy bridge between Asia and Europe, with a total length of 1,208 km, creating a reliable corridor for bidirectional transmission of electricity between Asia and Europe.

When completed, the EuroAsia Interconnector between Greece and Cyprus will be the longest and the deepest HVDC subsea cable project ever, with bi-pole cables of 2 x 900 km and a water depth of 3,000 m. Nexans notes that its 500 kV HVDC Mass Impregnated (MI) is the only field proven technology for deep-water subsea power cables. It will used Nexans’s long-term developments for 3,000 m of ultra-deep waters, with the installation provided by the company’s flagship vessel, the CLV Nexans Aurora. The two power poles of the bi-pole are expected to be commissioned respectively in 2026 and 2028.

EuroAsia Limited is the project developer of the European electricity interconnection project that will link the national grids of Israel, Cyprus and Greece (Crete).

Nexans has signed a three-year partnership agreement that calls for it to supply Eiffage with charging stations for electric vehicles at a thousand French sites, representing more than 4,000 charging points.

A press release said that after 20 years of successful collaboration, Eiffage has renewed its trust in Nexans with its order for Nexans’ AGICITY charging stations, which are produced at its Donchery site in the Ardennes region of France. The compact charging stations can be customized for indoor and outdoor car parks, including numerous services and options for integrating high-performance digital solutions. The AC and DC charging stations supplied by Nexans operate at between 22-50 kVA, allowing two cars to charge at the same time. A 45-minute charge gives up to 80% of the electric range, depending on the vehicles and the power of the station.

An initial project overseen by Nexans to equip the Eiffage head office in Vélizy Villacoublay with 200 charging points was successfully completed in 2021.

With these developments, Nexans is once again displaying its industrial agility and its capacity to support its customers in their energy transition.

“This partnership enhances our collaboration even further, offering exciting development prospects in the rapidly expanding EVCI market,” said Jean-Louis Tisnes, Nexan’s French sales director for the Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (Evci) activity. “It also demonstrates the commitment of our two groups to the energy transition.”

“Both companies are strong players and highly respected in the wire harness industry,” said Highland Holdings COO Tammy Wersal. “We are excited to continue our robust performance in the marketplace, and adding this family business puts us in a great position to continue that trend,” she said.

At its website, Precision Manufacturing reports that the company, founded by Marshall and Faye Ledwick, grew over the years with the Dayton automotive industry. After Marshal Ledwick passed, Faye Ledwick hired Donnie Hill in 2002 to be president. He expanded the company’s focus, enabling the company to become a world-class wire harness manufacturer, doubling its size multiple times.

7/3/2022 - 

Nexans has been awarded a German turnkey contract for the manufacturing and installation of the direct current (DC) subsea and land cables for BorWin 6 by TenneT.

A press release said that the 235-kilometer-long 320 kV direct current connection will transmit up to 980 MW from the BorWin cluster. Germany is seeking to increase its offshore wind capacity, targeting 30 GW by 2030, and BorWin6 project will help Germany achieve these milestones.

To electrify the BorWin6 project, Nexans will manufacture, install and protect 320 kV DC XLPE 1 core cables for TenneT. The subsea part, manufactured in Nexans’ flagship site in Halden, Norway, will be 2 x 190 km and the land part, manufactured in Nexans’ site in Charleroi, Belgium, 2 x 46 km. The HVDC-link will be 320 kV. The contract includes full Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) turnkey offering.

BorWin6 is TenneT’s last 320kV HVDC project to connect the remaining almost 1GW from the BorWin cluster in the German North Sea to the onshore grid. The project is included in German Area development plan (FEP from BSH) and will start operations in 2027.

The release said that the contract reflects Nexans’s commitment to innovation and sustainability, focus on electrification and continued investments.

7/3/2022 - Nexans and its partners have won a project from Bpifrance (French Public Investment Bank) that calls for the installation of two superconducting DC cables near Montparnasse station in Paris, a unique integration of such cables into a railway system.

A press release said that the project is part of the “Investissements d’Avenir” (Investments for the Future) initiative coordinated by SNCF Réseau. It represents the first time that these types of cables will be integrated into a rail network and is set to be the first permanent installation in France on any network. With their revolutionary technology, these power cables will help secure the network

at a time when rail traffic is constantly growing in mega-cities.

Built in 1840 in Paris, Montparnasse is France’s fourth-largest train station, with more than 50 million passengers annually and more than 90 million expected in 2030. SNCF Réseau will thus need more power to run an ever-increasing number of trains. And superconductor cable technology will help provide the increased electrical power required to meet the needs of this growing rail traffic. The superconducting cables will make use of Montparnasse station’s infrastructure by installing the cables in existing conduits.

“Only a superconducting cable can combine a reduced diameter and exceptional power to deliver the performance required by SNCF Réseau: 5.3 MW per conduit, or 3,500 A to 1,500 VDC,” the release said. “This also enables our customer to save on substantial implementation costs related to infrastructure modification, avoid potential disruptions to rail and road traffic, and limit risks in terms of execution time and the commissioning date.”

The release observed that superconducting power cables offer unparalleled advantages as they have zero resistance, so they can transport electricity with minimal power loss and thus contribute to making the world more sustainable. “This project illustrates perfectly how their compact nature enables them to transport very high power through a limited space. A single superconducting cable can replace multiple copper cables. Also, it has a minimal footprint, making high-capacity 1,500 V connections possible, which in turn improves the safety of the stations’ power supply.”

7/3/2022 - Nexans has been awarded a contract worth more than 100 million euros to supply Enedis—a French distribution network company—with medium-voltage power distribution cables and services for the next four years.

A press release said that the contract includes an extended amount of EDR-MAX cables, most of which will be used to connect onshore wind and solar farms to the grid. These directly buried cables have demonstrated a reduced environmental impact and an improved total cost of ownership. The project combines technological innovation, environmental benefits, superior plant capability and digital services such as the full deployment of ULTRACKER: Nexans’ digital supply chain solution based on the Internet of Things, enhanced artificial intelligence and cloud services.

The release said that the new generation of Nexans eco-designed medium voltage cables (NF C 33-226) that could reduce carbon emissions up to 20% were a key to Enedis choosing Nexans. It noted that Nexans also allows the customer to buy and be delivered in a short circuit, thus reducing the carbon footprint of the cable supply. “Nexans technologies continue to allow us to help our partners with cable solutions, securing Nexans’ position in France as the supplier of choice and opening the door for additional projects in the future.”

Jérôme Bicail, director of the industrial sector division of Enedis, said that Nexans is seen as a “strategic” supplier in the cable sector. “We already share with Nexans our major challenges on CSR issues such as eco-design, commitments to reduce carbon emissions and recycling solutions. These innovations, combined with end-to-end quality control, allow us to secure capacity while ensuring product life cycle management.”

5/4/2022 -

Nexans has been awarded a contract worth around €100m by French grid operator RTE to supply and install cables for the 496 MW Le Treport offshore wind farm.

A press release said that the contract comprises 47 km of offshore and 18 km of onshore export cable for the wind farm, which is located more than 15.5 km from Le Tréport and 17 km from Dieppe.

The consortium Eoliennes en Mer Dieppe Le Treport is developing the offshore wind farm. RTE has been appointed by the French government to connect the wind farm from the offshore substation to the onshore power grid by installing two subsea and onshore links.

For the subsea section, Nexans will supply two 23.5 km lengths of 225 kV three-core cable. The cable has hybrid armoring and incorporates a fiber-optic element to remotely monitor the health of the link and transmit information between the offshore wind farm and the onshore base.

Nexans’ Halden plant in Norway will manufacture the subsea cables, while the land cables will come from the Nexans plant in Charleroi, Belgium. The fiber-optic elements will be supplied from the Norwegian site in Rognan. The installation of the subsea cables should start in the second half of 2024.

The cables will be laid by the CS Skagerrak, one of Nexans’ two cable laying vessels. The onshore link will have 18 km of 225 kV single-core cable, similar to that supplied to RTE by Nexans under the current framework contract for onshore cables. Nexans will also be in charge of the cable burial and protection for the onshore section.