Power and automation technology group ABB will construct a new factory in the US to manufacture high-voltage land cables for power transmission.
The new plant will manufacture land cables for use in both AC and DC applications. ABB will invest approximately $90m in the new manufacturing facility, which is expected to employ around 100 people.
Peter Leupp, head of power systems division at ABB, said: “Cables play a key role in the efficiency and reliability of long-distance power transmission. The need to upgrade the existing transmission infrastructure in the US, to provide grid interconnections and integrate more renewable power into the grid is driving demand for cables.”
ABB has been manufacturing polymeric insulated cables since the early 1970s and supplies cable systems for a range of voltage levels. Its offering includes XLPE (cross-linked polyethylene) insulated cables for use in high-voltage applications, up to 500kV, that provide opportunities for energy-efficient power transmission, the company said.