When the job calls for erecting scaffolding to work at an elevated level, the new Williams® Scaffolding Ratchet from Snap-on Industrial Brands can be a true time saver.

The scaffolding ratchet is three tools in one. The ratchet includes tools that erectors need to easily and quickly engage the posts, fasteners and clamps on scaffolding. Since most scaffolding uses 7/8” hex nuts, the ratchet comes with a 1/2” drive pinned 7/8” six-point socket. Opposite of the socket is a bronze hammerhead, which comes in handy to pound out quick-release levers. Lastly, a pry bar is located at the other end of the ratchet to aid in scaffolding disassembly.

Other features and benefits of the scaffolding ratchet include:
•    36-tooth gear with 10-degree of engagement for working in tight areas
•    Supertorque lobular opening for greater turning power without deforming the fastener
•    Easy access reversing level to change working direction with only one hand
•    Bronze hammerhead to reduce rebound
•    Tethering device to prevent dropped tools

For more information about the Williams® Scaffolding Ratchet from Snap-on Industrial Brands, call 800-446-7407, or visit www.snaponindustrialbrands.com.

Sonoco is expanding its innovative EcoReel® recycling program to include scrap cable recovery at wind farm construction sites. Together with associate company American Cable Recyclers, Sonoco takes care of unwinding, securing and purchasing high-value #1 and #2 insulated or bare brite copper remnants. The company also unwinds, stores and buys scrap URD and other cable plus knock down and remove and recycle the wood reels.

 “This new program is a convenient way for wind farm contractors to keep the site safer and more secure,” said Wendy Williams, Recycling Operations Manager at Sonoco. “Our customers as well as the utilities, contractors and distributors they supply can quickly recognize the environmental and fiscal advantages of reusing wood reels.”

A member of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI), Sonoco recovered over 44,000 wood reels in 2011 saving nearly 15,000 trees. All viable reels are put through a rigorous seven-step process to make sure every recycled and refurbished reel will deliver like-new performance. Reels can often be reused three or more times. Sonoco’s EcoReel recycling program began in 1991.

For more information, call 828-330-0379 or visit www.sonoco.com.

Availon, Inc., a premier independent provider of parts and engineering services to the wind power industry in North America, is pleased to introduce a thoroughly redesigned, robust, and cost-efficient pitch controller.

True to the company’s “We Listen” stance, Availon has partnered with Lenord + Bauer, the world renowned manufacturer of innovative automation systems for industrial motion sequences. The premise for the extensive re-design of the pitch controller was the customers’ feedback and the ability to do a root cause analysis by Availon’s engineers who singled out several issues that needed to be addressed, such as: communication problems; damages, caused to the controller’s circuit board by the constant vibration and environmental contaminates; damages to the controller and the controlled components from voltage spikes; and the disparity between specified temperature range and actual operating environment.

To minimize turbine’s failures, the new innovative design features robust and reliable communications from the Pitch Controller to the axis cabinet components. Circuit boards are specially coated to prevent loosening due to vibration and to guard against corrosion. Improved RS communications now provides a higher tolerance for voltage spikes. Upgrades to

John Boorman, Availon North America Director of Sales, notes: “Availon’s mission has always been improvement of wind turbines availability. The new pitch controller is a perfect example of our engineering capabilities to design custom solutions that reduce or eliminate reoccurring fault problems and shortcomings.”

For more information contact ServicesUSA@Availon.com or PartsUSA@Availon.com.

TerexTM Cranes announces that it has received an order for 76 flat top tower cranes for PDVSA – Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. The State owned company will utilize most of the cranes for a housing project that involves building 50,000 residencies per year.  Of the 76 cranes, 38 are CTT 161A-6TS and 38 are CTT 91-5 TS12, all of them manufactured in the city of Fontanafredda, Italy. The cranes will be delivered through 2012.

This is among the biggest order of cranes for Latin America. “This order proves our brand strength and our commitment with Latin America”, says Ivens Encarnação, General Manager, TerexTM Cranes Latin America.

TerexTM has a complete product offering for the construction and infrastructure industry, and superior after sales services and support for its customers. “The order with PDVSA positions us at a new league in Latin America, and increases significantly the presence of TerexTM Cranes in the local crane Market”, adds Ivens. For more information, visit www.terex.com.

One lucky person has a chance to win an ExoFit NEX Global Wind Energy Harness from Capital Safety at AWEA Windpower 2012.

The harnesses were developed specifically for the needs of the global wind energy market. With a convenient radio and Lad-Saf® sleeve holster on the front of the harness and removable tool loops on the belt, this harness allows the user to easily carry equipment on their harness while climbing a tower. The construction model utilizes a removable lumbar protector that helps prevent wear and tear on the belt and back pad. Its ability to be replaced with accessory protectors prolongs the harness’ life. Stamped with ANSI, CSA and CE approvals this harness can be taken to worksites across the globe and be in compliance with appropriate standards.

The harness is constructed with aluminum front, back and side D-rings, locking quick-connect buckles and a sewn-in hip pad with belt and lumbar wear protection. The harness is available in XLarge, Large, Medium and Small. A medium size model will be on display at the Wind Systems booth #6213. A fitted harness will be mailed to the winner after the show.

Clemson University and its partners in South Carolina is pouring concrete for the first of two foundations that will house the world’s largest wind turbine drivetrain testing stands.

Choate Construction is building the $98 million facility at what is now part of the Clemson University Restoration Institute.The concrete foundation will form the base of the stand that will allow full-scale highly-accelerated testing of advanced drivetrain systems up to 7.5MW with 50Hz and 60Hz capabilities. It is scheduled to be operational in early 2013. The second test stand that will be able to accommodate next generation wind turbine drive trains up to 15MW will begin operation in spring next year.

The US Energy Department in November 2009 awarded a $45 million grant to the Clemson-led group under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help build and operate the project. South Carolina and private donors provided the about $53 million in matching funds.

Clemson’s public partners are the State of South Carolina, South Carolina Commerce Department, South Carolina Public Railways, South Carolina State Ports Authority and the Charleston Naval Complex Redevelopment Authority.

The site is adjacent to existing rail and dockside infrastructure, essential for handling the heavy components.

University officials estimate the drive train testing center will create as many as 800 direct and indirect high-paying professional jobs.

Sandia National Laboratories and its academic and private partners expect to have a state-of-the art wind turbine research facility in operation in October in Lubbock, Texas.

The first phase of Scales Wind Farm Technology Facility (SWIFT) is being constructed in partnership with Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Vestas and Group NIRE, a renewable energy development company.

The US Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is funding Sandia’s work, which will allow the use of the site for research.

Studies at the facility will initially focus on turbine-to-turbine interactions and innovative rotor technologies. Other areas for investigation include aero-acoustics and structural health monitoring of turbines using embedded sensor systems.

The SWIFT concept reflects a shared emphasis among the partners on lowering the cost of wind energy by maximizing the output of a wind farm rather than a single turbine.

The site will initially use three Vestas 300kW V27 turbines, which are smaller than utility-scale turbines. Sandia worked with Vestas to develop the site plan, uniquely tailored to study turbine-to-turbine interactions.

The site might eventually expand to include nine or more wind turbines, allowing researchers to learn how individual turbines and wind farms can integrate better with the grid.

Engineered specifically for polyester or vinylester resin systems, HiPer-tex™ W3030 roving also allows for longer, lighter blades for both offshore and onshore wind turbines.

3B is launching HiPer-tex™ W3030 high performance roving – the third product in the company’s series of innovative solutions for wind turbine rotor blades.

Specifically developed and engineered for polyester and vinylester resin systems and for resin infusion processes, HiPer-tex™ W3030 roving provides yet another novel option which allows OEMs to manufacture longer and lighter blades for the larger multi-megawatt wind turbines located both onshore and offshore.

3B, HiPer-tex™ W3030 rovings combine high performance glass properties and enhanced sizing compatibility with unsaturated polyester and vinylester resin systems. This new roving provides optimum properties for rotor blades created with lower cost resin systems and therefore helps blade manufacturers narrow the gap with higher cost, alternative composite solutions.

The new roving offers up to 10% weight saving for the same design and length when comparing rotor blades manufactured with traditional E-glass. In addition, the turbine blade span can be lengthened by up to 6% while still maintaining the same weight though contributing up to 12% more energy output.

A more consistent laminate quality is achieved as HiPer-tex™ W3030 roving offers better wet-out. Higher shear strength and substantially greater interfibre strength and excellent fatigue performance is provided by the significantly improved resin matrix adhesion when compared with existing high modulus fiberglass in the market place.

3B’s technological expertise and manufacturing know-how delivers reliable, high performance, sustainable and cost-competitive solutions for wind energy applications especially designed for the challenging and bigger multi-megawatt turbine blades, according to the manufacturer.

Other recently launched products in 3B’s rovings products for wind turbine blades include HiPer-tex™ W2020 and SE2020 made with Advantex® glass, both specifically designed and engineered for epoxy resin systems used in resin infusion or prepreg processes.

During the last few months the Evance R9000 small wind turbine has undergone further tests which have confirmed its energy generation has increased by over 4% to 9,167kWh at a wind speed of 5 metres per second.

The R9000 small wind turbine was one of the first small wind turbines to achieve SWCC conditional certification last year, and has received further improvements since.

Many Evance customers have already benefitted from higher than expected energy generation as the R9000 system improvements were implemented several months ago. For example, Clive Breeze was pleasantly surprised with the energy generated from his recent installation: “In the first three weeks alone, the R9000 turbines exceeded the predicted energy generation targets by 10 percent.” This reduced the customer’s first quarterly electricity bill by the equivalent of nearly $500.

“We’re delighted that our R9000 turbine is proving so efficient in energy production as this translates directly into a faster return on investment for our customers,” said Kevin Parslow, CEO of Evance Wind Turbines. “Our R9000 machine accounted for a third of all small wind turbines sold in the UK last year – making it the UK’s small wind turbine of choice. We look forward to accelerating our drive into the North American market though our network of installers in a bid to establish a similar market leadership position,” concludes Kevin. For more information, visit www.evancewind.com.

Known for rugged and dependable outside plant cable installation tools and equipment, the General Machine Products Company, Inc. (GMP), Trevose, PA, is pleased to introduce the All-Dielectric/Self-Support Cable Placement System to its line of aerial cable placement solutions. The All-Dielectric/Self-Support (ADSS) Cable Placement System provides specialized equipment necessary for aerial installation of nonconductive, high-strength fiber optic ADSS cable over short, medium and long span distances.

As its name indicates, All-Dielectric/Self-Supporting cable requires no messenger wire for support. Therefore, placement is achieved in a single pass, making ADSS cable an easy and economical way to install a fiber optic network. This type of installation can also be a solution in an aerial environment where power cables are close by, or where a lashing operation is impossible due to the proximity of other cables on the poles.

Because ADSS cable can be deployed in a variety of tough environmental and electrical conditions, components that make up the All-Dielectric/Self-Support Cable Placement System are specifically designed to meet the challenges work crews face.

The Cable Pony Trailer Mounted Winch uses grooved, double bull wheels to provide superior handling of the pulling rope, while providing a constant tension with a maximum capacity of up to 2,200 lbs. (1,000 kgs). The winch can offer line pulling speeds up to 130 ft. (40 M) per minute.

The ADSS Cable Placement System also includes a Payout Stand and Storage Reel. The Storage Reel has a capacity of 2,000 ft. (609.6 M) of 5/16 inch. (7.9 mm) diameter rope. It is uniquely designed to be compatible for mounting either on the Cable Pony Trailer Mounted Winch or the Payout Stand.

Two (2) sizes of In Line Blocks and three (3) sizes of Starter Blocks are also offered with our ADSS Cable Placement System. This variety of blocks will maintain the bending radius requirements for various cable diameters, load ratings, etc.

For more information, visit GMPtools.com/nf/adss.htm, or by contact Ted Clemens at 215-357-5500; info@GMPtools.com.

OFS and its Specialty Photonics Division, a leading designer, manufacturer and supplier of innovative fiber optic network products, is please to announce commercial availability of AccutetherTM fiber in both standard and reduced diameter sizes. This singlemode fiber features excellent bend performance and is ideal for defense applications where the fiber experiences tight bend, is permanently coiled or where a coil is designed to payout. Proof tested to 100 or 200 kpsi the fiber has high reliability and is available in long continuous lengths. The standard size fiber has a 245μm O.D. and the reduced diameter fiber features an 80 μm cladding and 160 μm O.D.

“A major advantage of this fiber is the excellent bend performance”, says Cathy Ciardiello, Market Manager for OFS defense related business. “Macrobend attenuation at 1550nm induced by 50 turns around a 4mm mandrel is < 0.01dB. The tight dimensional control of geometric parameters helps ensure stability for consistent winding/ payout of coils”, adds Ms. Ciardiello, and the dual acrylate coating system protects during deployment and lifetime. AccutetherTM coils can be ordered directly from the OFS Specialty Photonics site in Broendby, Denmark.

For more information, please visit www.ofsoptics.com or www.specialtyphotonics.com. 

Second Wind announces the introduction of a suite of wind farm operations services based on the company’s Triton® Sonic Wind Profiler and SkyServe® Wind Data Service. Triton, a remote sensing system using sodar technology to provide wind measurements across the turbine rotor sweep, and SkyServe, a cloud-based data delivery tool, have already been widely adopted by wind farm developers for use in wind resource assessment.

“2011 was a big year for Second Wind as Triton and SkyServe continued to lead the global wind power development market for remote sensing,” says Larry Letteney, CEO. “In addition, working in partnership with several large wind farm operators and utilities, we deployed a large number of Triton in support of wind farm operations.”

Wind farms have a number of operating issues that can be explained and resolved based on thorough understanding of the wind conditions onsite. With the rapid global growth of wind energy and improvements in turbine technology, advanced wind information systems are needed to provide more comprehensive information about wind conditions. The applications for Triton on operating wind farms include:

• Complementing or replacing expensive hub height reference towers for operational support, compliance, power marketing, and improved wind forecasting;
• Mobile applications providing turbine performance, wake, and sector analysis;
• Complete wind farm assessment for warranty and financial purposes.

Second Wind recently expanded into a new 25,000 square-foot manufacturing facility near Boston to support the wind industry’s growing demand for Triton.

Matt Hendrickson, senior director of energy assessment at 3TIER, says that “A well-qualified remote sensing system such as the Triton can be extremely valuable in assessing wind farm performance. Measuring the vertical structure of the wind profile and relating it to turbine efficiencies goes a long way in explaining varying production patterns. Used properly, this technology will ultimately increase the skill of one’s predictive models.”

Second Wind has been a global innovator in advanced technology for wind measurement since 1980. For more information visit www.secondwind.com.

The patented chromium alloy treatments have characteristics far superior to conventional coatings in terms of extended life and cost efficiency. Equally important, the Iosso Metal Processes can be applied to all ferrous based alloys, referred to as the IOSSO-FE Process and most uniquely to zinc die castings, referred to as the IOSSO-ZN process.

The Iosso Metal Processes benefit manufacturers who require parts to have increased hardness, extended wear, lubricity and corrosion resistance. The product is heat resistant, non-magnetic and static free. The coating is uniform over complex shapes without build-up on sharp edges or corners, and the thin dense application allows for a new hard surface up to 72RC.

IOSSO services a wide spectrum of industries such as automotive, injection molders, fabricators of shafts, gears, cams, dies, rollers, valves, blades and slitters. Providing consistent quality, added value and superior delivery has resulted in the company being chosen as a single source ISO certified supplier by many customers.

For more information, contact Iosso Metal Processes, 1485 Lively Blvd., Elk Grove, IL 60007. Phone 847-437-8400, or visit www.iosso.net. 

Northern Power Systems www.northernpower.com, a next-generation wind turbine company, announced today that Troy Patton has been elected President and Chief Executive Officer.  Mr. Patton previously served as President of the Utility Wind business at Northern Power Systems (NPS).

“We are very pleased to appoint Troy Patton as President and CEO of NPS,” said John Simon, Chairman of the Board. “Over the past few years Troy has led the successful development of the NPS 2.3MW permanent magnet direct drive wind turbine, and he is an industry veteran who has earned the respect of the Board, our employees and our customers.”

Since joining NPS in April 2009, Mr. Patton has served as President of both the Utility Wind and Distributed Wind businesses. He brings over 20 years of experience in the power generation industry. Prior to NPS, Troy was Senior Vice President of Engineering and Products for Vestas Wind Systems. Before Vestas, Patton served in numerous technical and leadership roles at General Electric’s Gas Turbine and Wind Turbine businesses.

“I am very excited to be stepping into my new role at NPS,” said Patton. “In addition to building our Utility Wind franchise, I look forward to managing the global expansion of our industry-leading Distributed Wind business.”

The Board of Directors also expresses its gratitude to John Danner, former President and CEO, and Parthiv Amin, former President, Distributed Wind, both of whom are leaving the Company. Mr. Danner and Mr. Amin were instrumental in leading the success of NPS since 2008 and 2010, respectively.

For more information visit www.northernpower.com.

The only independent wind turbine-testing site in the German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein will soon be ready to accept its first wind turbines. The test field, which has been developed by GL Garrad Hassan, GEO (Gesellschaft für Energie und Oekologie mbH) and Bürgerwindpark Janneby e.G, received final building approval and will launch testing activities at the end of 2012. The opening of the Janneby site will mark the return of independent testing facilities for wind turbines in Schleswig-Holstein since the end of the 1990’s.

The test field is designed for the assessment of new onshore wind turbine prototypes, a crucial part of being able to obtain certification for a new product. The site comprises eight test beds and meets IEC Class II wind condition classification. The average annual wind speed is 7.1m/s at 100 meters high. The testing phase can run up to five years, for turbines of up to 150m in total height.

Manufacturers who choose to use the test field will be able to make use of the full range of GL Garrad Hassan services, including: wind measurements, acoustic, power performance, load, power quality and low voltage ride through (LVRT) measurements. A LiDAR test site is also planned for development.

“In the rapidly developing wind energy industry, extensive prototype testing is essential for manufacturers looking to bring new products to the market. Working with globally recognized independent consultants demonstrates to potential clients the verifiable technical quality of a product, which combined with certification, is essential in the industry today,” said Volker Koehne, Country Manager Germany, and GL Garrad Hassan.

Independent testing and measurement are keys in increasing the reliability, efficiency and performance of wind turbines, propelling the optimization of existing, and development of future designs to meet the challenges of this burgeoning industry.

For more information on GL Garrad Hassan, please visit www.gl-garradhassan.com.

General Electric will supply 38 wind turbines for four wind projects in construction in Northern Poland. When operational, these projects referred to as Darlowo Wind Energy Center – Phase Two that mark the first use of GE’s 2.5-megawatt class wind turbines that feature 103-meter rotors for high productivity.

Invenergy Wind LLC and Polish development company, Enerco sp. Zo.o. (Enerco) are collaborating to develop nine wind energy generation projects in the region in and around Darlowo, near the Baltic Sea. GE provided 32 wind turbines for Darlowo – The first phase is fully commissioned and produces 80 megawatts of power.

 Darlowo – Phase Two is comprised of the Boryszewo, Krupy, Stary Jaroslaw and Nowy Jaroslaw facilities this will bring the total installed capacity of wind energy in the Darlowo area to 175 megawatts.

Darlowo  – Phase Three will consist of two additional projects, Gorzyca and Pekanino, which are currently under contract. These sites will boost the aggregate output of the nine Darlowo projects to 250 megawatts.

“The Darlowo Wind Energy Center is a wonderful example of Poland embracing the economic and environmental benefits of its wind energy resources,” said Michael Polsky, president and chief executive officer of Invenergy. “Wind energy is playing an increasingly important role in helping Poland meet its commitments to the European Union with regard to green energy generation.”

GE’s 2.5 series wind turbines offer high efficiency and reliability for a broad range of wind conditions. Built on the proven performance of GE’s 1.5-megawatt wind turbine, the world’s most widely deployed machine in the wind industry with more than 16,500 units installed worldwide, the 2.5-megawatt wind turbines with a 103-meter rotor will help the Darlowo projects provide increased energy capacity while maintaining required levels of efficiency, reliability and grid-connection capabilities.

“Darlowo is the result of outstanding regional collaboration between Invenergy and GE,” said Stephan Ritter, general manager of GE’s renewable energy business in Europe. “Due to the scale of the project, we are establishing a service center in Darlowo to ensure the long-term reliability and performance of our wind turbines.” The wind turbines for the Darlowo—Phase Two will be assembled at GE’s facility in Salzbergen, Germany. Commercial operation of the turbines is to commence in the fourth quarter 2012.

For more information, please visit www.invenergyllc.com. For more information about GE, visit www.GE.com.

U.S. national security and business leaders, including Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called the Law of the Sea Convention essential to protect American security and economic interests, guarantee the global mobility of U.S. armed forces, and extend U.S. sovereignty.

“Frankly, this is not even a close call – ­ the Law of the Sea Convention is supported by major U.S. industries, the Chamber of Commerce, our energy, shipbuilding, shipping, and communications companies, and environmental organizations, along with past and present Republican and Democratic administrations and the entire national security leadership,” said Secretary Panetta. “Not since we acquired the lands of the American West and Alaska have we had such an opportunity to expand U.S. sovereignty.”

Secretary Panetta and Gen. Dempsey spoke to a gathering of U.S. national security and business leaders in Washington, D.C., convened by The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Atlantic Council. Numerous high-ranking former U.S. military officials and a diverse array of business representatives also participated in the forum to discuss the national security and economic merits of the treaty.

“The U.S. Chamber of Commerce strongly supports the Law of the Sea Treaty because it would provide clear legal rights and protections to American businesses to transit, lay undersea cables, and take advantage of the vast natural resources in and under the oceans off the U.S. coasts and around the world,” said Bruce Josten, executive vice president for Government Affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“The United States stands with Turkey as the only NATO members that have not ratified Law of the Sea, a U.S.-initiated treaty that protects American interests off U.S. shores and around the world,” said Chuck Hagel, a former senator from Nebraska and now chairman of the Atlantic Council. “Senate ratification this year would allow America to take its rightful place and enjoy the benefits and protections of this important treaty.”

The treaty would strengthen America’s claim to the full outer continental shelf. In the case of Alaska, this would extend U.S. sovereignty 600 miles offshore, instead of the current 200-mile limit. For more information visit www.pewtrusts.com.

PSI Repair Services, Inc., a subsidiary of Phillips Service Industries, will showcase its off-warranty repair support for wind energy operations and maintenance (O&M) professionals at the AWEA Windpower 2012 Conference & Exhibition.

PSI Repair Services offers fast, affordable repairs, including upgraded/longer-life products, for out-of-warranty electronic, hydraulic and precision mechanical components that drive your turbines’ pitch and yaw systems and down tower electronics. Components repaired include printed circuit boards, PLCs, control cards, VRCC components, IGBTs, thyristors, converters, pitch motors, hydraulic pumps, servo motors, transducers and much more. All repairs come with a free evaluation and one-year warranty.

PSI uses the latest diagnostic tools to detect failures down to the microchip level. Solutions range from minor component changes to full replacement printed circuit boards, with enhanced designs to improve performance and reliability. These options allow you to significantly increase mean time between failures (MTBF) and prevent costly downtime and/or repeat repairs.

In addition, PSI provides comprehensive remanufacturing services for unsalvageable, obsolete components. Plus, PSI’s stocking programs provide fast turnaround to help reduce inventories.

“PSI Repair Services is a one-stop resource for wind farm O& M professionals,” said Mike Fitzpatrick, General Manager of PSI Repair Services. “No other repair service provider in the wind industry can match PSI’s breadth and depth of cost-saving services, or has a dynamic Engineering Services Department quite like PSI. The difference is clear for our customers.”

The AWEA Windpower 2012 Conference & Exhibition takes place June 3-6 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA. PSI Repair Services will be exhibiting in Booth 1062. For more information visit www.windpowerexpo.com. For more information about PSI Repair Services, visit www.psi-repair.com.

AGY announced today that it has increased production output of its S-2 Glass® fiber reinforcements by twenty percent with the capability to further increase its output as market demands dictate. This expansion enables AGY to meet growth in both the aerospace and industrial markets for high-performance glass fibers used for composite reinforcement.

S-2 Glass fibers are made exclusively by AGY and are supplied to a wide variety of markets and end use applications around the world. In the aerospace industry, S-2 Glass fibers offer unique reinforcement properties that are critical to high performance aerospace applications such as helicopter blades, aircraft flooring, interiors, and structural parts.

AGY offers S-2 Glass fiber products that are designed to be compatible with phenolics, epoxies, polyesters, vinyl esters, rubber as well as many thermoplastic resins. S-2 Glass has tensile strength that exceeds that of standard-modulus carbon fiber as well as most grades of aramid fiber. Because S-2 Glass fiber has a high strain-to-failure of 5.7 percent (compared to aramid’s 2.8 percent and carbon’s 1.5 percent) it has an exceptional ability to withstand high impact events.

“With this significant increase in output, we are confident in AGY’s ability to stay ahead of the needs of the market for S-2 Glass reinforcements,” said Drew Walker, AGY President.

For more information about S-2 Glass fibers, please www.agy.com.

Certain South Asian countries are due to benefit from resource sharing with neighboring nations, as power grids are planned to help spread the growing electricity demand in the region, according to energy expert GBI Research.

The new report states that the continuously increasing demand for power is stemming from rapid industrialization and commercialization in the South Asian region, with the resulting imbalance in the electrical demand and supply scenario representing the main driving force behind the growing power sector in South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries. The major SAARC countries in terms of power demand include India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

SAARC member countries are also planning to trade electricity with one another, with plans underway to develop a robust cross-country power grid. Plans are also underway to set up 200km of submarine cables between India and Sri Lanka to deliver 1,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity. Import and export of power between SAARC countries at competitive rates will act to support the region, offering aid in cases of power deficits in any member country. Some cross-border trade is already in place, with Bhutan exporting around 1,200-1,400MW of electricity to India’s power grid.

The power markets of almost all SAARC member countries are regulated by state powers and, some private players are present in the generation and transmission segment, the sector is currently largely closed to competition. However, increasing electricity demands and a need to improve power infrastructure has led governments in SAARC countries to formulate lucrative policies offering incentives to private players for their investment.

The power market in many SAARC countries now invites Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which will assist countries in developing better infrastructure, providing a more reliable power supply to its citizens and minimizing power shortages.

The cumulative installed capacity for power in the major SAARC countries is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.6% to reach 505.7 gigawatts (GW) in 2020. Thermal resource based installed capacity is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.8%, while renewable and hydro sources are expected to grow at respective CAGRs of 16.9% and 9.3% doing the next decade. Nuclear power installed capacity is also expected to grow at a CAGR of 17.6% throughout 2012-2020.