Ducab-HV Completes 148-Meter Tower for High-Voltage Cable Factory in UAE

---

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Ducab-HV, a specially formed joint venture between the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates), the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) (Dubai, UAE), and Ducab (Jebel Ali, UAE)--which itself is jointly owned by the governments of Dubai and Abu Dhabi on a 50:50 basis--has completed the 148-meter vertical extrusion tower as part of its high-voltage cable factory under construction in Jebel Ali.

The tower is reputed to be the highest industrial tower in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), measuring the equivalent of approximately 44 stories. The completion of the tower is the first phase in the construction of the factory, and according to Ahmed Al Shaikh, the chairman of Ducab-HV, construction of the tower "demonstrates the project is on track for completion in early 2011."

Ducab is the leading electrical-cable producer in the Middle East, producing a range of high-voltage cables and using approximately 110,000 tons of copper each year.

The new tower has been designed to produce high-quality extruded cables and contains state-of-the-art extrusion equipment and several clean rooms on the top levels. These clean rooms are constructed to ensure that the cable insulation is completely uncontaminated.

The cables produced at the tower are designed to carry electrical loads sufficient to power an entire downtown district, and it is critical that the cables are totally fault-free and meet the highest international standards, according to Ahmed Al Shaikh.

Construction on the factory at Ducab's 590,000-square-meter industrial site in Jebel Ali commenced just one year ago. When completed, the factory will be the first dedicated high-voltage factory in the region and will be Ducab's sixth factory. Output from the new factory is destined for projects already planned by both DEWA and ADWEA, together with other projects in the region.

The factory will occupy a 50,000-square-meter site with a total built-up area of 22,000 square meters. The cables produced will cover the operating voltage range of between 66 kilovolts (kV) up to 400 kV, which is the highest operating voltage in the GCC region. When fully operational, the factory will have the capacity to produce up to 30,000 tons per year of cables, with cross-sectional conducting areas of between 300 square millimeters to 2,500 square millimeters.

The CEO of Ducab, Jon Vail, said "We are approaching the completion of the civil works, and the first machines are already being installed. Commissioning will start in early 2011, followed by rigorous testing and then production of cables for the market later in the year."

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. IIR's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.