Extrusion International 4-2025

45 Extrusion International 4/2025 the coast of northwest Australia, and considered a “pio - neer in floating offshore wind projects,” according to Nexans. The company is responsible for manufacturing and installing the 140-kilometre submarine cable. Offshore boom drives surge in orders The offshore sector is booming: wind turbine manufac- turers and suppliers, including the cable industry, are se - curing an increasing volume of orders. For example, Vat - tenfall: the company has signed a contract withVestas for 112 latest-generation offshore wind turbines, each with a capacity of 15 MW. These turbines will be deployed in the Northern Lights 1 and 2 offshore wind projects in the German North Sea off the island of Borkum, jointly owned by Vattenfall and BASF. From 2028, they will be capable of producing electricity for the equivalent of 1.6 million households. According to Vattenfall, some of the tower elements will be made of low-emission steel, significantly reducing the CO 2 footprint of the towers. Nordex has also received an order from Canada to sup- ply a wind farm developer and operator with 19 of its N163/5.X turbines for a project in the province of Que - bec. The turbines, to be installed on 125-metre-high tu - bular steel towers are scheduled for delivery in the sum- mer of 2026. The company has also secured orders from Canada for 74 of its N163 turbines for a total capacity of 500 MW, to be delivered between 2025 and 2026. Resilient cables are essential The surge in new projects also means a large num- ber of orders for components from the cable industry. Cables are required for the operation of a wind tur- bine, for generating electricity and for transporting the electricity produced from the turbine to the consumer. Particularly important are power cables, which carry the generated electricity through the tower to connect it to the transmission grid – but the enamelled wires used in the generators and transformers are also important. Resilient cables are used, as they are often subjected to constant movement and vibration, needing to with - stand compression and torsion. In addition, they must also meet high standards for thermal load capacity, electrical insulation, halogen-free composition, as well as resistance to UV radiation, ozone, and salt water. Eco-concept along the entire value chain Steel plays a vital role in the energy transition: “It is an essential material in the construction of wind turbines,” emphasises ArcelorMittal. To reduce the carbon foot- print of large onshore and offshore projects, it is crucial that the steel is produced sustainably. “ArcelorMittal’s XCarb® products, such as XCarb®, enable significant reductions in CO 2 emissions. The steel is made from one hundred percent recycled material (scrap) using renew- able electricity. This contributes to the decarbonisation of cable production, including for wind energy. Niehoff is also contributing to decarbonisation ef- forts, for example with Nexans. The companies are collaborating on the development, installation and operation of the next-generation wire breakdown sys- tem, which went into operation at the Nexans facility in Lens, France. “The plant enables optimised produc - tion speeds, which can provide significant savings of 35 kW/h per tonne, reducing energy consumption and CO 2 emissions,” the companies explain in a joint an - nouncement. These are key investments to make the entire value chain, including for wind power, both eco - logical and economical. After all, only then can the in - dustry transform to become climate friendly. Trends and highlights from the industrial sectors of wire, cables and tubes will be presented at the world's leading trade fairs wire & Tube from 13 to 17 April 2026 in Düsseldorf, Germany. Messe Düsseldorf GmbH www.wire-tradefair.com, www.tube-tradefair.com Offshore wind energy is growing worldwide, having already recorded the second highest number of new installations in 2023 (Photograph: Pixabay) Turbine blades are a key component of wind turbines. They generate energy that is transmitted via cables (Photograph: Pixabay)