The Prysmian Group announced that it has seen its “B” rating improve to an “A-” in terms of its CDP (carbon disclosure project) ranking for a covered period (2021 versus 2019) the company saw its Scope 1 & 2 emissions decrease by more than 22%.

A press release said that the improvements cited in its score for the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) stemmed from reduced consumption, electrification and the use of renewable energy. In 2021, Prysmian recorded a 3% reduction despite the acquisition of four new production sites through focused actions (e.g., LED lights, biomass boilers and replacement of old machinery versus more efficient ones). It also installed several solar farms in its factories and aims to expand the amount of self-generated energy with renewables significantly in the coming years.

“Climate is the most urgent pillar of sustainability and we must deliver results quickly in order to guarantee a better future for next generations,” said Maria Cristina Bifulco, who is the chief sustainability officer and investor relations vice president for the Prysmian Group. “The A- ranking in the CDP Questionnaire confirms that we are on the right path in the decarbonization process and that our commitments are solid and recognized. The recent confirmation of Prysmian in the DJ World Index and the excellent results achieved further confirms how sustainability represents a key priority for the group.”

In 2021, the Prysmian Group launched its Climate Change and Social Ambition in 2021, which aims “to make the Group one of the leading technological players in the transition to low carbon energy and decarbonize its operation by 2035 (Scope 1 and 2) and be net-zero across the whole value chain by 2050 (Scope 3).”

In related news, Prysmian Australia has been awarded NBN’s ‘Protected Environment’ Award for 2022. Prysmian has had a longstanding partnership with NBN Co., locally manufacturing and supplying the optical ribbon cable integral to NBN’s national network as well as being its exclusive supplier of copper cable. All NBN cables are manufactured in Prysmian’s Dee Why, Sydney plant.

Prysmian’s ability to innovate saw the optimization of the 12-fiber stranded feeder cable to NBN. The local team worked closely with NBN’s engineering design team to challenge the existing cable design and develop a smaller and lighter cable without compromise to the mechanical, environmental and optical performance. After several iterations of prototyping and testing, the final design was a reduction in weight of 21% (which is mostly plastic material), a 27% reduction in size and a doubling of cable length on the existing size drum, with no change to the cable performance characteristics or handling methods.

In 12 months, there were significant benefits to material usage and carbon emissions, namely, it reduced: use of plastics by 129 metric tons; use of timber by 87 metric tons (1400 wooden drums) due to ability to supply longer lengths of cable on the same drum; carbon emissions by 1,175 metric tons; and emissions from logistics as 1400+ drums were taken off the road.

“We are delighted that our long-term strategy to manufacture locally, with a commitment to innovation and sustainability, continues to be of significant value to our customers” said Prysmian Oceania CEO Hama Shroff.

Wire & Cable Manufacturer’s Alliance, Inc. (WCMA) saw 120 members and guests take part in its annual luncheon meeting on Dec. 1, 2022, at the Downtown Hartford Marriott.

A press release said that the event included a timely economic presentation, announcements about new leadership and programs, and a report about record donations to charity and scholarship programs. John S. Traynor, executive vice president of Cambridge Trust, returned to present key economic, political, and manufacturing topics with a focus on the current labor situation.

The approved 2023 officers include President David Fisher, James Monroe Wire & Cable; Vice President Chris Venice, Marmon Electrical; and Secretary Treasurer Tom Artinian, Hitachi Cable (Proterial). Sue Welsh, retired, is the past president. Added as a new board member was John Dognazzi, Managing Director North America, Sikora.

Charles Glew, president of Cable Components Group, was named the first chairman of the WCMA Young Professionals group, which also held a networking session. He will lead initiatives to facilitate mentoring and provide educational opportunities to cable industry professionals 40 and under. The group’s steering committee also includes Trish Weisberg, Service Wire; Grant Campbell, Multi/Cable; and Paul Gemelli, Gem Gravure.

Based on the generosity shown at the organization’s Award’s Dinner, Golf Outing and Annual Meeting events in 2022, WCMA will provide donations totaling $20,700. Those include $9,200 to Toys for Tots, $5,000 for UCONN Cancer Research, $3,000 for WCMA’s scholarship program, and the balance for other causes, from Breast Cancer research and the American Red Cross, to UNICEF, an Army Veterans organization and a hospice.

Welsh and Executive Director Ed Fenton introduced Amber Schilberg, who will support the organization’s marketing and administrative duties. Fenton reported that WCMA gained six new members bringing its paid membership count to 115 paid.

The WCMA also announced the recipients of its 2023 Distinguished Career Award. They will be honored on April 22, 2023, at the 37th annual Awards Dinner, which will also be held at the Downtown Hartford Marriott Hotel.

The recipients are: William “WT” Bigbee, vice president operations, Encore Wire; Rich Carr, CEO, Sequel Wire & Cable; Denise Coyle, sales manager, Fluoropolymer Resources, Ltd.; Scott Harden, president, Provideon Wire & Cable; Drew Richards, CEO, RichardsApex; John Rivers, regional sales manager, Fluorgistx; Greg Smith, president/CEO, International Wire Group; and Ronald Tessier, senior director operations, Berk-Tek Leviton.

For more information and to register for the awards event, contact Ed Fenton at tel. 860-331-7074,

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., www.wcmainc.org.

Leviton announced that the company is making a £600,000 capital investment into solar energy at its U.K. manufacturing plant in Glenrothes.

A press release said that the carbon-neutral plant, which serves as headquarters for Leviton Network Solutions EMEA, manufactures fiber optic and copper cabling and made-to-order pre-terminated cable assemblies. The investment is part of a multi-million-pound development project at the Glenrothes site, including new production equipment and a customer showroom.

“The ability to generate solar energy onsite will help us offset soaring energy costs in the U.K. and supports our commitment to reducing carbon emissions, developing clean, renewable energy, and reducing our carbon footprint,” said Leviton Network Solutions Europe Managing Director Ian Wilkie. “Upon completion, the solar panels will help reduce the company’s annual energy needs.”

Planning and networking approvals are already in place. The installation will start in January and is planned to be completed in early 2023. “Leviton is ... investing back into the business on a global scale, and we are doing it with sustainability at the forefront of our thinking,” said Ross Goldman, executive vice president and general manager of Leviton Network Solutions, who also serves as the company’s chief sustainability officer.

The solar panel project at Glenrothes is part of Leviton’s CN2030 sustainability program to achieve company-wide Carbon Neutrality by 2030 and its ambition to achieve NetZero Carbon by 2050.

As part of a more than $1 billion modernization commitment across its footprint, Southwire reports that its state-of-the art rod plant in Carrollton, Georgia, will have been completed by the end of 2022, with a grand opening to be held in early 2023.

A press release said that the new plant, which replaces a 40-year-old facility, will increase copper rod production by at least 10%. “Our goal as a company is to be generationally sustainable, and the construction of this plant is a key milestone on that journey. This is a significant investment in our future,” said Southwire President and CEO Rich Stinson. “We are proud of our industry-leading influence, and this new facility will set a higher global standard for sustainability and efficiency in rod manufacturing. It’s a great time to be in the electrical industry and an even better time to be at Southwire.”

In 1963, the company patented Southwire Continuous Rod (SCR®) technology, which transformed the wire and cable industry. More than half of all copper rod in the world has passed through a SCR system in some capacity. The new rod plant will produce more copper rod than any other SCR system, while encompassing a smaller environmental footprint.

As the company continues its focus on sustainability, Southwire is partnering with Carroll EMC to use all renewable electricity for the facility. Southwire will work to not just meet, but exceed, state air quality requirements through its focus on air emissions controls, including the installation of a “wet scrubber” system. The facility will also continue to capture 100 percent of the stormwater runoff for reuse in the company’s manufacturing processes.

 “Our team is thrilled to evolve the modern assets and technology that have made Southwire an industry leader while, at the same time, advance our values of empowerment, trust, consistency and inclusion,” said Senior Vice President of Modernization Will Berry. “This new plant illustrates our long-standing commitment to sustainable growth.”

Cuba has contracted with France’s Orange, asking the French telecom to build an underwater cable that will link it to the island of Martinique.

Per multiple media reports, the news came about a week after the Biden administration recommended that U.S. regulators deny a request by submarine cable operator ARCOS-1 to connect Cuba to the United States through a new undersea cable landing station.

The objection from the U.S. was based on concerns that the cable-landing system in Cuba would be owned and controlled by Cuba’s state-owned telecom monopoly, Empresa de Telecommunicaciones de Cuba S.A. (ETECSA). The proposal would have created the only direct, commercial undersea cable connection between the U.S. and Cuba.

No details were released about the cost or capacity of the cable, which is to be supplied by Alcatel Submarine ETECSA. President Tania Velazquez said that work had begun on the project. “Today the official act was held to begin the technical work of installing the new submarine cable, the joint work of ETECSA and Orange, which will allow the diversification of Internet connection routes in Cuba,” he said on Twitter.

The sole undersea telecom that Cuba has is to Venezuela, part of ALBA-1, an 8,400-km fiber-optic cable system that was launched in 2001. ALBA-1 extends between the United States, the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Curaçao, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize and Mexico.

Per Wikipedia, ETECSA is the sole lawful provider of telephony and communications services in Cuba, in essence, a communications state monopoly that has some eight million clients, both national and foreign.