Corning Incorporated announced that it is expanding its manufacturing capacity by building a new cable manufacturing facility in Gilbert, Arizona.
A press release said that the expansion will help Corning meet the needs of a long-term customer, the largest U.S. fiber internet provider, as it expands its fiber service. Corning will locate the new plant in greater Phoenix region, adding approximately 250 jobs and extending Corning’s strategic investments in optical fiber, cable, and connectivity solutions to meet record demand.
The new facility is Corning’s latest in a series of investments in fiber and cable manufacturing totaling more than $500 million since 2020, the release said. These investments, supported by customer commitments, nearly double Corning’s ability to serve the U.S. cable market and connect more people and communities. As public and private investments in broadband, 5G, and the cloud are accelerating a large, multi-year wave of growth for fiber-based networks, Corning “is uniquely positioned to support these network builds.”
The Arizona facility, expected to open in 2024, will be the industry’s western-most U.S. manufacturing site for optical cable. It will enable Corning to serve growing demand in the western U.S. and Canada. Separately, AT&T announced that it is deploying fiber internet service to the Mesa, Arizona, area, with service expected to be available to Mesa residents in 2023.
To build and deploy these networks, the industry will need another 850,000 workers through 2025. Corning and AT&T created the Fiber Optic Training Program, focused on equipping thousands of technicians with the skills critical to designing, installing, and maintaining a growing fiber network. The initial class is currently underway in North Carolina, and the program aims to train 50,000 American workers over the next five years.
The Prysmian Group announced that it has reached a key technology milestone in power transmission: the successful development and testing of the first 525 kV extruded submarine full cable system for High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) applications.
The breakthrough will enable a massive increase of the maximum transmission capacity of bi-pole systems up to more than 2.5 GW, which is more than double the value achieved with 320 kV DC systems currently in service. The one-year prequalification testing was carried out per international standards including CIGRE TB-496 and witnessed by a third-party certification body.
“This new milestone confirms our commitment and prominent role in the development of power grids infrastructure, key for the energy transition,” said Prysmian Group CEO Valerio Battista.
HVDC cable links are key components of sustainable energy systems, to transmit large bulks of electricity over long distances, often across or between countries. This achievement will put Prysmian Group in a unique position to support forthcoming tenders for submarine interconnectors.
“On the heels of the successful industrialization of 525 kV HVDC underground cables for the 3 German HVDC links projects, we are ready to extend this innovative technology for submarine cable systems to enable our customers in the continuous effort towards the energy transition by further reducing the costs of offshore wind and minimizing the environmental impact,” said Hakan Ozmen, EVP Projects Business Unit.
The company leveraged its in-depth knowledge of materials and the capability to improve manufacturing processes to optimize a reliable industrial process with strict technological parameters and providing an entire system of cable and accessories. That includes flexible factory joints, rigid repair joints and sea-land joints with the best dielectric properties.
Russia’s EVRAZ PLC is seeking to divest the holdings of EVRAZ North America (ENA), which include Rocky Mountain Steel Mill, a plant in Pueblo, Colorado that produces wire rod.
The scope of the story is far larger as a key investor in the parent company is Roman Abramovich, a Russian billionaire who was on the list of oligarchs linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin. EVRAZ Plc, which purchased Pueblo’s steel mills in 2007, was hit with sanctions by the U.K. in May in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
ENA, based in Chicago, Illinois, employs more than 1,400 people in the U.S. and 1,800 in Canada, with production sites that include Pueblo, one in Portland, Oregon, and four in Canada, per the company’s website.
A report in The Pueblo Chieftain said that a letter sent by EVRAZ to ENA employees said that the “current geopolitical landscape has created a heightened level of uncertainty” over the last five months that has led to “unique challenges” in its day-to-day business operations. “However, we are in a position to change course,” the letter said. “In response to today’s reality, and to best position our organization for long-term success, EVRAZ plc, the parent of ENA, has made the difficult decision to begin a sales process of the North American business.”
Barnes Group announced that it plans to close the production operations at its Engineered Components facility in Bristol, Connecticut, which has a manufacturing focus of producing transmission springs and washers.
Per multiple reports, the demand for such products has declined as there is more production of electric vehicles that do not need those parts. The company also cited supply chain issues and inflation as factors.
The plant, which has some 95 employees, is expected to be completely closed by mid-2023. Work performed at the facility will either be transferred to other Engineered Components manufacturing locations or permanently discontinued.
Outokumpu has agreed to sell the majority of its stainless-steel long products business to the Marcegaglia Group, an Italian entity that owns some 30 steel plants.
A press release said that Outokumpu has signed an agreement to divest the majority of its long products business operations to Marcegaglia Steel Group, a leading industrial group in the steel processing sector. Outokumpu will now focus on its core business of flat stainless-steel products.
The long products operations to be sold represent about 8% of the Outokumpu Group’s sales in 2021. They include: melting, rod and bar operations in Sheffield, U.K.; bar operations in Richburg, U.S.; and a wire rod mill in Fagersta, Sweden. The transaction does not include Outokumpu Long Products AB operations in Degerfors and Storfors, Sweden. Approximately 650 employees in Sheffield, Richburg and Fagersta will transfer to the buyer as a part of the transaction.
“This divestment marks the accomplishment of the turnaround program for the Long Products business in the past two years,” said Outokumpu President and CEO Heikki Malinen. “The sale is a natural step for Outokumpu in line with our strategy to focus on our core business, stainless-steel flat products.”
Outokumpu expects to complete the divestment by the end of this year. Outokumpu Long Products AB’s units in Degerfors and Storfors in Sweden continue their operations for now as part of the Outokumpu Group, and different options are to be evaluated for the future of the units.
How to resolve AdBlock issue?