LS Beats Cable Giant Prysmian

By Kim Yoo-chul

Staff Reporter

LS Cable, the world's third-largest manufacturer of power cables, has won a combined $154 million order ― $120 million from Bahrain and $34 million from Kuwait, respectively.

The maker beat out the Italy-based Prysmian Cables & Systems, JPS of Japan and Saudi Cable, for the deal, LS spokesman Pitt Kim announced, Thursday.

The victory came amid the rising demand for high-voltage and electric power transmission cables in Gulf nations as they broadly expand power networks this year, LS officials said.

Under the contracts, the South Korean provider will supply cables for new 220 kilovolt power networks and other related equipment to Bahrain by the end of December next year.

For Kuwait, the winning bidder will deliver electric power transmission cables with 400 kilovolt ``gap conductors'' and help the country build an advanced power transmission system by the end of November 2011, the company said in a press release.

A gap conductor produces high conductivity using super thermal-resistant aluminum alloy as. Without needing to add power transmission towers and lines, twice the power can effectively be transmitted simply by replacing existing cables.

``The latest contracts will pave the way for us to expand our business base to North America and Europe, as well as to the Gulf and Middle East nations,'' company Vice President Choi Myeong-gyu was quoted as saying in the release.

The company has been applying updated strategies with advanced products for better penetration in the North American and European markets in order to create new revenue growth.

A month ago, LS Cable agreed with U.S.-based power technologies company, American Superconductor to collaborate to deploy more than 50 kilometers of superconductor power cables in commercial power grids over the next five years.

Superconductor cables offer unique power density, efficiency and security advantages compared to conventional power cables. They play a key role in providing the necessary backbone to support Smart Grids around the world.

LS Cable aims to become the world's biggest manufacturer of cables by 2015.