In an effort to reduce the need for North American imports of extruded extra high voltage technology, paper oil impregnated cable types and overhead power lines, Prysmian  cable and systems reportedly launched its first extra high voltage, vertical continuous vulcanization power cable factory in North America.

 

This new 16-story, $46 million plant in Abbeville, S.C. extends the existing Prysmian medium and low voltage cable manufacturing facility by 140,000 square feet. The new plant is a 373 feet tall tower featuring vertical continuous vulcanization (VCV) process and also includes an advance 460kv extra high voltage testing capability.

 

North America’s electrical grid was in need of investment for the last 30 years, officials said.

 

Martin Hanchard, president and CEO of Prysmian’s North American operations, said that the company’s new investment not only addresses the expected overhaul of the nation’s grid, but also meets the challenges represented by the advancement in the renewable energy and the emergence of smart grid enabling technologies

 

“This breakthrough incorporates over 130 years of leading-edge technology and manufacturing know-how developed and deployed globally by Prysmian,” Hanchard said in a statement. “Now, that very same technology and know how is available in North America.”

 

Officials with Prysmian said that the company operates 14 plants dedicated to high and extra high voltage power cables in the U.S., Canada, France, Finland, Brazil, Argentina, Italy, Spain, Turkey, the U.K., Indonesia, Malaysia and China.

 

Prysmian operates four production plants in North America. Among them, two are in the U.S. located at Abbeville, S.C. and Lexington, S.C. and two in Canada located at St. Jean, Quebec, and Prescott, Ontario. Furthermore, Prysmian’s high voltage systems design and installation business activities are located in South Plainfield, N.J.

 

Prysmian’s high voltage customers in North American include major public utilities, utility contractors and private development groups.

 

Officials with Prysmian said that North America represented 11.8 percent of the total Prysmian group’s sales, amounting to more than $896 million last year.

 

Prysmian’s energy cables and systems are used for submarine and underground cables for power transmission and distribution, for industrial applications and for the distribution of electricity to residential and commercial buildings, while the company’s telecom cables and systems are used for optical cables and fibers and copper cables for video, data and voice transmission.