U.K.-based JDR Cable Systems (JDR) reports that it has  won a multi-million pound contract to supply inter-array cables and termination work for Ørsted’s record-breaking, 1.4 GW offshore wind farm, Hornsea Project Two.

A press release said that, when operational in 2022, the wind farm will supply electricity to over 1.3 million homes, and surpass its sister project Hornsea One, as the world’s largest offshore wind farm. The contract calls for JDR, part of Poland’s TFKable Group, to supply 100 km of inter-array cables that will be assembled in JDR’s Hartlepool facility. The inter-array cables link the wind farm turbines together, and carry the power to an offshore substation, which converts it to a higher voltage for transmission to shore.

The project, the release said, is Ørsted’s first in the U.K. to use 66 kV for its array cables, having used 33kV for previous projects. Using cables with a higher voltage helps to reduce electrical losses during transmission.

“This contract builds on experience from previous projects including Race Bank offshore wind farm, which we opened earlier this year, and Hornsea Project One, currently in construction,” said Patrick Harnett, the procurement and construction director for the project. “As our wind farm projects have grown in size, and distance from shore, so too have the contracts we place within the supply chain. The technology we use is also changing as we innovate to build these projects at massively lower cost of electricity into the U.K.’s grid.”

JDR CEO Richard Turner said that, “Hornsea Project Two ... will be built at the lowest ever price seen in the U.K.”

South Korea’s SMS Group has won a contract from Pohang Iron and Steel Company (POSCO)—the fifth largest steel producer in the world and the largest in South Korea—to modernize its existing wire rod mill at its Pohang works.

A press release said that the project calls for the replacement of some equipment along the mill (existing descaler and additional one on the rolling mill), a new cropping shear, a shiftable water cooling line, pouring reel machines with walking beam conveyor, cooling fans and hoods assuring in-line treatment of coils. The plant now produces 540,000 tons per year of wire rod and bar-in-coils for automotive applications from 14 up to 42 mm, with coils up to two tons.

The project, the release said, will allow POSCO to widen coiled round products up to 55 mm, and smaller products rolled at 22 m per second. The mechanical areas will be connected with a scratch-free conveying system that, combined with the automation package supplied by SMS group, will grant POSCO a quality improvement on the rolled surface of the bars and a better coil shape and formation. Further implementations are the off-line simulation process with CCT® (Controlled Cooling Technology) and quick changing system of the water cooling line in less than five minutes to grant better plant efficiency. These features will give POSCO the possibility to better supply the automotive and special steels market.

“This latest modernization project further underlines SMS group’s upgrade expertise and its position as a leading supplier of rolling mills for quality steels in all size ranges,” the release said.

The SMS Group, a group of companies internationally active in plant construction and mechanical engineering for the steel and nonferrous metals industry, has some 14,000 employees. The sole owner of the holding company SMS GmbH is the Familie Weiss Foundation.

Radix Wire has been acquired by High Road Capital, a U.S. private equity fund that has completed 44 such investments in companies based in the U.S. and Canada.

A press release said that the company, which manufactures high-temperature and fire-resistant wire and cable, will now be called Radix Wire & Cable (RWC). Founded in 1944, the company’s brands include Sil-A-Blend®, DuraBlend®, DuraFlex® and the first 550°C UL-listed wire.

South Korea’s LS Cable & System (LSCS) reports that it will join a project in Oman being financed by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

A press release said that the project, to build a broadband communications network in Oman, is led by its government and state-run mobile operator Oman BroadBand. This marks the first time that the broadband project is being carried out at a national level.
The release said that by 2021, the first stage of the project, worth approximately $178 million, will be completed in key cities, including Muscat, the capital and largest city of Oman. By 2030, the network will be expanded to other cities in the second stage of the project.

Per an AIIB report, the project will roll out a fiber optic network to more than 400,000 homes/premises by the end of 2021. The first phase calls for some 4,100 km of fiber optic cables and some 9,500 km of drop cables. When completed, 80% of Muscat will be fiber-ready for connection with the gigabit-capable optical networks. “The project will improve Oman’s infrastructure in the information and communication technology sector, thereby increasing the attractiveness of Oman as a destination for manufacturing business and strategic logistics services,” it said.

LSCS will lead the design of the communications network, the engineering and supplying fiber optic cables, the release said. It noted that LCSC has carried out large projects near Qatar in the Middle East, with support from related organizations, including bodies such as KOTRA, a South Korean trade organization, and the Korea Information & Communication Contractors Association.

Radix Wire has been acquired by High Road Capital, a U.S. private equity fund that has completed 44 such investments in companies based in the U.S. and Canada.

A press release said that the company, which manufactures high-temperature and fire-resistant wire and cable, will now be called Radix Wire & Cable (RWC). Founded in 1944, the company’s brands include Sil-A-Blend®, DuraBlend®, DuraFlex® and the first 550°C UL-listed wire.

Per the RWC website, it uses cell manufacturing to focus complete production responsibility with specific production teams. Its wire and cable products are used for OEM, maintenance, repair and operations, and fire protection applications, with products proven to perform in temperatures ranging from 150°C to 1000°C.

The release did not cite the selling price, but it did note that High Road Capital typically backs companies with revenues between $10 million and $100 million. “Radix is well positioned for continued growth, and we look forward to supporting the company’s strong management team to execute on those growth strategies,” said Ben Schnakenberg, a partner with High Road Capital.

The release said that Radix President Steve Demko, who along with other members of the management team invested in the transaction, will continue to lead the company. It added that High Road’s investment will allow Radix to expand its product offering and add manufacturing capacity.