Southwire reports that the company has made an investment in HData, a software company that automates regulatory data analysis.

A press release said that HData, based in Birmingham, Alabama, digitizes regulated energy industry data by automating access to critical analytics for electric, oil and gas companies and their regulators. “Our investment in HData gives us a valuable partnership in the rapidly developing world of AI for business intelligence,” said Charles Hume, managing director of Southwire Technology Ventures. “As a leading supplier to the utility industry, we are excited about the insights that our partnership with HData will provide into the industry.”

As a part of this investment, Southwire will join HData’s Advisory Board, represented by Donna Ward, gaining further insights into the utility industry. HData’s proprietary software can scan and extract insights from Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) reports, turning multi-thousand-page PDFs into actionable charts, comparisons and insights.

HData joins a portfolio of investments managed by the Southwire Technology Ventures team. This team collaborates with pioneering startups to build the future of smart power within the realms of smart buildings, electric mobility and the grid of the future.

Denmark’s NKT has been chosen to be the cable supplier for Sweden’s SR Energy, which is building a 15-turbine wind farm.

A press release said that Kanonaden Entreprenad, the project developer, will use NKT’s AXAL-TT PRO 3.0 and AXALJ-TT EQV 36 kV cables to connect the turbines to the grid. The wind farm will be built at a hilly location that is currently used for commercial forestry. The farm will consist of 15 wind turbines, each more than 200 meters tall.

NKT will deliver 40 kms of cable from its factory in Falun. The AXAL-TT PRO 3.0 cable connects each turbine to the cable station, while the AXALJ-TT EQV cable will connect the substation to the grid network.

The wind turbines themselves will be delivered in May 2024 and then installation will begin, to be completed in the fall of that year. Due to the height of the turbines, the weather will determine when the project can be fully completed.

NKT Key Account Manager Mikael Åkerlund said that AXAL-TT PRO 3.0 has a jacket that is up to four times stronger than usual for this type of cable. The jacket has deformation zones which neutralize the force of penetrating rocks and allows it to be laid and plowed in existing material, which is important in this setting in this part of Sweden.

A live action for equipment belonging to a custom electronic wire and cable manufacturer from Rochester, New York will be held later this month at a date to be determined.

An announcement said that Perfection Industrial Sales, Elk Grove, Illinois, is hosting the live auction. Also participating is Commission Brokers President Martin Kenner.

The equipment to be sold off includes a Kalmark 12+18 400 mm Planetary Cabler, new 2020; extrusion lines (4); Formulab/U.S. Machinery Spiral stripers (3); respooling; 36 in. S.T. rotating cablers (2); New England Wire Machinery 16 in. quadders (2); and Wardwell 16-C and 24-C braiders (3). Also, a DRI-AIR APD-11 desiccant dryer w/RH-600 Hopper; a 5 T chiller; a Nordson talc applicator; reels and spools; surplus bare and insulated wire, and much more.

All equipment is offered as-is, where-is, subject to prior sale. The auction is tentatively scheduled for late April, date to be finalized. For more details, go to the Perfection Industrial Sales website at www.perfectionmachinery.com or contact Kenner at tel. 401-943-3777 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,www.commissionbrokers.com.

Ningbo Orient Wires & Cables Co., Ltd. (Orient Cable NBO) has become part of the Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project, an ambitious renewable energy initiative that will send wind and solar energy generated in Morocco to the U.K.

Per multiple news reports, Orient Cable NBO invested approximately £5 million on January 22. It joins existing investors in the project: Abu Dhabi Power Corporation-owned Al Maqam Energy Holding, UK-based Octopus Energy and TotalEnergies Renewables UK. Of note, Orient Cable NBO also announced that it planned to buy 8.5% of XLCC, a U.K.-based company that produces standardized 525 kV submarine cables, for £10 million. XLCC is developing the U.K.’s first HVDC cable factory, located in North Ayrshire, Scotland, which will deliver 3,800-km-long cables for the Morocco-UK Power Project. Last November, XLCC reported that it received a £9 million grant from Scottish Enterprise to further develop the North Ayrshire plant located in Hunterston.

“As we continue to work towards building a greener future for Scotland and the wider U.K. ... this grant (puts our new plant project) on the best footing,” said XLCC CEO Ian Douglas. “Green energy is the future, and we want to empower Scotland to be part of the transition.”

Work on the £1.4 billion Hunterston cable manufacturing facility will start this year, with cable production slated for 2026. The first order is for four 3,800-km-long cables for the Xlinks Morocco-UK power project, while additional Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) have been secured for domestic projects.

Prysmian reports that it has finalized a contract worth approximately €1.9 billion for Eastern Green Link 2 Limited (EGL2), a project that will deliver power generated in Scotland to England.

A press release said that the EGL2 connection— partners of the project—SSEN Transmission and National Grid Electricity Transmission plc, the U.K. electricity transmission network owners—will form a vital electricity transmission link between Scotland and England. It is one of the first cable systems contracted in the U.K. that will use 525 kV HVDC technology with extruded XLPE insulation. Prysmian will design, manufacture, install, test and commission the required HVDC cable system that will have a power transmission capacity of 2 GW.

“We are very proud to have the opportunity to play our role in the development of such a strategic infrastructure for U.K.,” said Hakan Ozmen, EVP Transmission BU, Prysmian. “Once completed, the electrical ‘superhighway’ cable link will unlock the rich renewable energy capacity of Scotland and significantly increase the UK’s capacity to deliver clean energy for around two million homes in the U.K.”

The award follows the earlier selection of Prysmian last year as the exclusive preferred bidder, with a commitment made to assure its continued capacity availability for the project. The new connection is due to be operational in 2029. See p. 18 for related news item.