Hellenic Cables, the cables segment of Cenergy Holdings, announced that the South Fork Wind project has successfully powered up New York’s first offshore wind turbine, a major milestone in the construction of the first U.S. utility-scale offshore wind farm in federal waters.

A press release said that Hellenic Cables designed, manufactured, supplied, tested and terminated 30 km of 66 kV XLPE-insulated subsea inter-array cables and associated accessories. The cables were manufactured at Hellenic Cable’s plant in Corinth, Greece.

“This accomplishment reflects the dedication and expertise of everyone involved in this pioneering project,” said Alexis Alexiou, CEO of Cenergy Holdings. “We’re proud to work with industry leaders such as Ørsted and Eversource on a project that will help transform the US energy sector.”

Hellenic Cables already has a strong project pipeline in the U.S. offshore wind sector, with contracts for the supply of inter-array cables for flagship projects, including Revolution Wind in Connecticut and Rhode Island, Southcoast Wind in Massachusetts, and Dominion’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind.

A terrestrial cable has successfully traversed a pre-laid channel beneath the seabed on two islands in ocean waters north of the city of Zhoushan (part of East China’s Zhejiang Province), marking the completion of the first project of its kind in China.

Per multiple media reports, including China Daily, the terrestrial cable provided by the Hengton Group links the islands of Zhoushan and Shangyuanshan. The State Grid Zhoushan Power Supply Company, the project’s developer, said that inter-island energy transmission in China is usually done with submarine cables. However, China’s coastal waters have dense waterways and busy ships whose anchors could easily damage submarine cables, which led to using of a 10 kV one-km-long terrestrial cable that is buried deeper.

Li Zhen, the head of the design company of the project, said that other advantages include lower costs to make the cable as well as easier construction. To reduce tension and friction of the cable during the line laying, the company used wire rope traction, essentially installing an “exoskeleton” for the cable. It then used pipeline lubrication materials to reduce friction, ensuring that the cable remained intact during the dragging process.

Zhen said that this method could be “extensively applied to connect islands separated by short and medium distances of no more than 2 km.” The long-term goal, he added, is to achieve connections between islands over medium and long distances.

Gerdau reported the recent completion of commissioning of the company’s new steel processing heat-treatment facility in Modlothian, Texas.

A press release said that the facility—adjacent to Gerdau’s Midlothian, Texas electric arc furnace (EAF) steel mill—is the only one in North America that can produce stretched and stress relieved A722 bars. That capability provides improved stress relaxation properties for fasteners as well as post-tensioned and pre-stressed applications. Unique to the facility is the ability to produce lengths up to 65 feet long in both quench and tempered, as well as stretched and stress relieved products. The new facility was designed to meet the evolving demands of various industries, including the rapidly expanding renewable energy sector.

Rosendahl Nextrom recently equipped its in-house technology center with two brand-new laboratory lines for LAN cable and fiber optical cable production.

A press release said that Rosendahl Nextrom’s technology center, located at its headquarters in Austria, has been exclusively dedicated to datacom. Two new laboratory lines, one for loose tube production and another for Cat. 8 wire insulation, have been installed and are now available for test runs and trials:

The loose tube line, equipped with numerous features that enhance quality and productivity while reducing scrap, was designed to make a significant advancement in fiber optical cable manufacturing. Noteworthy for its compact design, the line achieves speeds of up to 1,200 m/min. Visitors can experience firsthand the improved performance of an enhanced fiber cutter, optimized jelly-filling, a cable drying system for high speeds, and more.

The second line is a high-speed insulation line designed for Cat. 8 LAN cables. It has a robust extruder group of four with high-precision gas dosing. Notable highlights include the cooling section and the automatic take-up station, engineered to handle speeds of up to 2,500 m/min.

“We are excited to advance our research and development with these new laboratory lines and extend our infrastructure to our customers and partners,” said Johann Jäkel, Business Unit Director. “The trials on the lab equipment will help improve product quality and increase operational efficiency. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved and further strengthens the strategic partnership with our customers.”

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Morgan-Koch Corporation announced that it has been chosen by GMP-Slovakia to represent it in North America.

A press release said that Morgan-Koch Corporation will represent GMP Slovakia’s product lines, which include steel reels and cable drums, take-apart reels and handling equipment. Founded in 2003, GMP Slovakia develops and manufactures steel reels, collapsible reels and reel handling equipment for the wire and cable industry. The company has two manufacturing plants and has long worked closely with key machinery manufacturers.

GMP Slovakia’s steel reels are suitable for drawing, bunching and stranding steel, copper or aluminum wires and its metal cable drums are used for cable and rope process or transportation. The size and dimensions of each steel reel can be customized according to customer needs. Its range of products also includes baskets, pallets and customized solutions all designed with 3D graphic system, as well as reparation service of used steel cable reels.

 “We welcome GMP Slovakia into our group of high-quality suppliers to the wire and cable industry,” said Albert Kozlowski, vice president/general manager of Morgan-Koch.