Gulf Exporters

Ducab wins deal for Korean nuclear plant

A stock of cables outside a Ducab factory

The UAE’s Ducab will for the first time export its nuclear power-qualified cables following an order it received from the Korean Hydro-Nuclear Power Company (KHNP).

Ducab’s NuBICC range, devised for nuclear power, will be used in the Shin Hanul 1 and 2 Nuclear power plant now under construction.

This project win follows significant testing and qualifications, and represents the first international nuclear project for Ducab, building on their successful nuclear cable supply engagement with the UAE’s Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec), said a statement from the company which is equally owned by Abu Dhabi’s Senaat and Investment Corporation Dubai (ICD).

Ducab has a strong history of innovation and strict compliance with all relevant international industry standards and certifications.

The Korea win is cited as affirmation of Ducab’s innovativeness, high quality and reliability as the production of cables for the nuclear industry requires extreme professionalism and competence. 

Nuclear power cables are extremely demanding products within the electrical cabling industry, and Ducab’s nuclear cables supplied to Barakah Power Plant in the UAE have been tested and qualified for 60 years of operating life, Ducab said.

Seok Cho, chief executive officer of KHNP, said: “We would like to congratulate Ducab for this important milestone for the industrial sector of the UAE.”

Cho commented that providing nuclear-grade materials was the highest form of quality and a major achievement. 

“For a manufacturer to reach the level where their nuclear cables have been tested and qualified in a highly reputed laboratory in North America, shows strong visionary leadership and a pursuit for excellence,” he said.

“Considering the sensitive and critical needs of a nuclear power facility, we conducted a proper audit and are happy to announce that Ducab got nominated for the tender bid among global competition.” 

Ahmad Bin Hassan Al Shaikh, chairman, Ducab, remarked: “Our company’s nuclear cable team worked hard to win this contract against well-established international competition.

“This win by us is a matter of pride for the company, as well as for the entire manufacturing and industrial sector in the UAE. Our national leadership has consistently encouraged us to constantly innovate and show the best of the UAE to the outside world, and being a part of a nationally-critical project in Korea with KHNP shows that our company has now emerged in the region to stand alongside the best-known and leading cable manufacturers in the world.” 

KHNP has strong ties with the UAE in terms of collaboration on advanced nuclear power plant technology. It has built a strong relationship with the UAE’s Enec around knowledge transfer, training and operations, among other fields.

Ducab is the first cable manufacturer in the Middle East region to introduce and qualify 60-year sustainable halogen-free cables meeting the most onerous cable testing standards such as the IEEE, which is prevalent in North America. The cables have been customised and adapted in the UAE’s first four nuclear power plants.

Ducab operates five manufacturing facilities in the UAE, which include Ducab Jebel Ali, Ducab Mussafah 1 Factory, Ducab Mussafah 2 Factory, Copper Rod Factory in the Mussafah Industrial Area, and Ducab High Voltage Cable Systems Factory in Dubai. A plant to produce aluminium rods is nearing completion.

Approximately 60 per cent of the products manufactured by the Ducab group are exported.