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The cables of the internationally active Nexans Group are in demand around the world in the fields of infrastructure, industry, civil engineering and data transmission networks. With production plants in over 30 countries and offices and agencies worldwide, the Nexans Group, which is listed on the Paris stock exchange, has a total workforce of 22,000 employees. In 2007 it generated revenue of 7.4 billion euros.
The energy sector is one of the company’s core markets. In terms of electricity transportation, Nexans manufactures a wide range of solutions which, in addition to the actual cables, also include compatible attachment and connection accessories. The products for the energy sector include various building installation cables and 1 kV cables for house connections as well as medium and high-voltage cables for distribution and transportation networks. Nexans thus serves, as it were, the entire transport route from power station to the electricity customer.
Users derive great benefit – often without knowing it – from the exchange of knowledge between the different group divisions. Cables for turbines are one such example: they benefit from the insights which the Nexans Group has accumulated from manufacturing cables for brown coal excavators. Because even if the fields of application are different, the loop cable of a turbine nacelle, which can rotate around the axle up to three times, must display a level of flexibility similar to its pendant which is used on the articulations of a brown coal excavator. Excessively flexible compositions would cause the seldom moved cable to become embrittled; excessively rigid sheaths on the other hand would hinder movement and encourage cable wear and tear. The environment influences also resemble one another. Both types of cable must be able to withstand fluctuating temperatures and air humidity, and possibly tolerate the heat emission from machinery. The regenerative technologies thus derive their benefit from traditional energy generation.
Emerging fields of application such as offshore wind parks are also benefiting from the insights derived from earlier applications. When creating connections to drilling rigs on the high seas for instance, the Nexans Group implemented numerous (possibly) record-breaking projects and proved its skills in the fields of both undersea cables and assembly. This is of benefit to users when linking up offshore wind parks and their connections to the electricity network. But technical progress does not stop with the development of undersea cables. The ongoing assimilation of insights from practical experience, the development and testing of new materials and the honing of installation technology ensure that the growing demands of the industry are satisfied. It is not without reason that Nexans cables were selected for wind parks such as Horns Rev 1 and 2 off the coast of Denmark and Côte d’Albâtre, France’s first offshore wind park.
The cable manufacturer’s spirit of innovation is also reflected in the new solutions for photovoltaic installations. New types of cables, feature improved insulation and sheathing in particular, are designed to withstand cable corrosion for more than 25 years. The developers of these cables drew on insights gained through from practical experience which provided information about ageing behaviour. What is required is resistance to many environmental influences and to infestations of microorganisms. The requirement profile is met these days by means of a double-layer insulation and sheath. In this case, the sheath consists of a material mixture, and additives protect it against chemicals, ozone and exposure to UV, while its smooth surface provides little opportunity for microorganisms to become attached.
Nexans Deutschland Industries GmbH & Co. KG
Kabelkamp 20
30179 Hanover
Germany
Tel: +49 511 676-1
Web:
www.nexans.de
mail:
webmanager@sovereign-publications.com
Last modified May 05, 2008
Ten Alps Communications Ltd t/a Sovereign Publications
Copyright © 2008 Sovereign Publications
