Leoni reports that the company has concluded the sale of one of its business groups to Deutsche Invest Mittelstand (DI Mittelstand)

A press release said that on Dec. 13, 2023, the sale of the Leoni Business Group Wire Products & Solutions (BG PS) was completed. The deal included Leoni Draht GmbH, Haarländer GmbH, Leoni Temco, Ltd. and Leoni Wire (Changzhou) Co., Ltd. The company group now owned by DI Mittelstand is operating under a new name: Aerumtec - Copper Products and Solutions. Leoni Draht GmbH with its plants in Weissenburg and Bad Kötzting thus becomes Aerumtec GmbH. The plants manufacture wire, strand and rope made from copper and Leoni Histral® alloys bare and plated, as well as composite materials.

DI Mittelstand, a private investment firm that was founded in 2007, is based in Hamburg, Germany. 

The spate of orders for cable-lying vessels (CLVs) has shown no signs of slowing as NKT reported ordering one and Taihan reported buying one.

A press release said that the NKT order, worth between $218 to $270 million, is from NKT HV Cables, a Swedish-based turn-key power cable manufacturer and installation company that is part of NKT. It is to be built by Vard and designed by Salt Ship Design AS, both firms based in Norway. The hull will be built at Vard Tulcea in Romani.

NKT said that the need for the CLV relates to the company’s “record order backlog and the strong market outlook.” The vessel will be constructed in parallel with NKT expanding its site in Karlskrona, Sweden. Both of those initiatives are scheduled to be operational in 2027.

Taihan reported that it has acquired South Korea’s only CLV, a 6,200-ton CLV specialized for submarine cables that is capable of self-propulsion and dynamic positioning. The vessel can load up to 4,400 tons of underwater cables. The addition, it said, will help the company future-proof its business “amid expected shortages of cable ships.”

Taihan notes that it plans to make full use of this vessel first for the Yeonggwang Nakwol Offshore Wind Power Project. “This acquisition positions Taihan competitively in turn-key projects that span from submarine cable production to laying. As there are only a few cable manufacturers with cable-laying capabilities, Taihan is set to lead in the burgeoning offshore wind power industry globally.”

The release said that the increasing demand for submarine cables is likely to cause a shortage of cable layers, leading to higher charter rates for such vessels. “Owning this vessel positions Taihan favorably to undertake projects steadily and tap into new revenue sources.”

Taihan Cable & Solution (Taihan) reported winning a contract from Germany’s TenneT and another for the Yeonggwang Nakwol offshore wind farm in South Korea.

A press release said that Taihan won a contract from Germany’s TenneT to supply it EHV power cable in a deal worth about US$45 million. The project calls for 380kV underground cables that will be used to expand the transmission network for power generation. Taihan will supply the EHV cables and cable accessories, and be responsible for the power network design, cable laying, connection and testing. Taihan previously won two projects in Germany’s HV cable market worth US$52.4 million.

Taihan also reported that it has won a contract worth approximately $75 million to supply subsea cables for the 365 MW Yeonggwang Nakwol offshore wind farm in South Korea. Per multiple media reports, the order is for inter-array subsea cables that will connect 64 offshore wind turbines installed at the wind farm, and the cables connecting them with a new substation on Songi Island.

The cables will be made at Taihan’s Dangjin plant. Last October, the company was a preferred subsea cables supplier for the 532 MW Anma offshore wind project.

“With the Yeonggwang Nakwol project, we will contribute to the stabilization of the subsea cable supply chain by actively participating in various offshore wind power projects being advanced in Korea, and increase export competitiveness by using it as a stepping stone for expansion into the growing offshore wind power market in Europe and the United States,” Taihan said.

Brazil’s Aço Cearense Group’s Siderúrgica Norte Brasil (Sinobras) has officially produced the first steel coil at its rolling mill #2 in Marabá, Pará state, Brazil.

A press release said that Sinobras invested in the new mill from Italy’s Danieli to increase its annual production capacity from 380,000 tons to 850,000 tons per year of wire rod and spooled rebar in coils. The mill features an innovative, full cantilever stand configuration with a total of 26 passes. It has 10 cantilever stands arranged in H/V configuration, followed by a series of Delta-type, fast-finishing blocks, with a 45° design, for the remaining 16 passes of the reduction sequence.

The new mill will produce wire rod from 5.5 to 16 mm, and rebar from 6.3 to 16 mm, at a maximum finishing speed of 110 m/s. The project includes a new substation and 230kV transmission line to meet the new electrical load needs of the steel producer and facilitate the use of energy from the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Plant, of which it is a partner as a self-producer.

Sinobras Industrial Director Milton Lima described the expansion as a transformative moment for the Group. “This achievement represents a significant milestone ... taking us to an even higher level. By doubling the size of Sinobras, we are not only expanding our operations, but we are also transforming our company into a powerhouse, generating new opportunities.