Ducab HV signs agreement for latest cable tech

Jon Vail is CEO of Ducab HV, which was officially inaugurated in November last year.

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Ducab HV has signed a collaboration agreement with J-Power Systems Corporation (JPS), an equally-owned JV of Sumitomo Electric Industries and Hitachi Cable, covering all areas of high-voltage (HV) cable technology.

Ducab HV is a JV between Ducab (50%), DEWA (25%) and ADWEA (25%) to manufacture HV cable systems. The facility was inaugurated in November 2011 in Jebel Ali.

"We are now furthering our commitment to the rapid delivery of excellent HV products by partnering with J-Power Systems, one of the world's leading companies in HV technology," said Jon Vail, CEO of Ducab HV.

HV and EHV (extra heavy voltage) projects require the most advanced cable technology, as well as proven joints and terminations to complete the system.

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The quality and reliability of each component in the entire system is critical to the success of projects. "Due to the exacting nature of this business, our customers want to see a proven track record of success. For a new company, this creates barriers to entry that we will overcome through this collaboration," added Vail.

Hitachi Cable and Sumitomo Electric, JPS' founding partners, have been leading HV cable technology since the 1960s. They are involved in supplying projects up to 500kV both in Japan and the rest of the world, including significant projects in the Middle East.

JPS was formed by spinning off their HV power cable divisions in 2001. Ducab-HV's collaboration, which came after a detailed evaluation of all the qualified international cable companies, extends up to the 400 kV range, which is the highest voltage in use in the UAE.

"We are very happy to enter this agreement with Ducab HV, and look forward to working together to transfer expertise and knowledge to the UAE to ensure that Ducab HV products meet the highest international standards," said Mr Fukunaga, president of J-Power Systems.

Technology transfer is a key part of the agreement, and will take place through a combination of Ducab HV engineering teams visiting Japan, as well as experienced JPS engineers' stationed in the UAE to train Ducab HV staff. The knowledge and technology transfer will cover all aspects of HV cable manufacture.