Recycled Aluminium Conductor Cable
An Innovate UK KTN Innovation Exchange client is seeking innovative approaches to rapidly recycle and reuse aluminium alloy cables as a high voltage conductor, which can offer the same electrical performance as industry-standard type registered conductor. The client maintains large grids in the UK and is looking to remove cables from above ground and transform them into cables that either meet the requirements for buried cables or provide a route for recycling them back into new cables that can be buried. The winning business(es) in this Innovation Exchange competition will be given an opportunity to present their solutions to the client, with the potential of a commercial opportunity to deliver their solution.
Opportunity
Challenge opens
11/12/2021
Challenge closes
04/03/2022
Benefit
An opportunity for introduction and pitch to a major global infrastructure client. Contribute significant impact on carbon footprint and enhance a circular economy activity. Potential for a substantial commercial opportunity.
Background
Most high voltage conductors are manufactured from high-grade Aluminium alloys. Once the cables reach end of life or change of use, the cable material becomes available for recycling into other products/cables. The cables may come in a form already suitable for recycling or may need materials stripped or removed from the outside, such as casings and coatings to expose the Aluminium within. At present the cables are often recycled into general aluminium material, these cables are high value and it would be extremely advantageous if they could be reused.
The Innovation Exchange is supporting a client to identify innovative solutions to the challenge of using the recovered aluminium alloys and re-manufacturing them into new cables or other high-value conductive products. The materials that are recovered may have come from overhead exposed cables and could come in different sizes and lengths. Typical cable sizes can be up to 900mcm.
The client is now looking for a supplier who can take, strip and process the cable with the ability to identify what can be reused and what needs to be reduced to saleable scrap for onward processing. The Client is looking for a potential UK supplier to offer solutions for how they could best manage the used cables to the benefit of the client and must also show consideration for how they could be re-processed into usable cables.