Exel Composites Carbon Fiber Conductor Cores

Exel Composites is a Finnish manufacturer of composite profiles and tubes made by pultrusion and pull-winding, founded in 1960 and listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. It serves wind power, transportation, building, infrastructure and energy customers that need lighter, corrosion-free and more efficient parts than metal.

Its carbon fiber conductor cores are pultruded, spoolable polymer matrix composite rods used in single-wire or multi-wire cores of HTLS (high temperature, low sag) overhead conductors that replace steel-cored ACSR lines. Cores use carbon fiber or hybrid carbon and glass fiber in an epoxy matrix, with tensile strength above 3000 MPa and Tg of 210 to 215 degrees C, and every reel is traceable. Customers are conductor manufacturers and transmission system operators upgrading grids.

• Pultruded PMC rods: spoolable carbon fiber composite cores made in long continuous lengths.
• Single-wire and multi-wire options: multi-wire cores handle like steel cores for safer installation.
• Hybrid designs: carbon fiber or carbon and glass fiber in epoxy, tailored in size and shape.
• High-temperature performance: typical Tg of 210 to 215 degrees C and tensile strength above 3000 MPa.
• Full traceability: continuously monitored pultrusion with traceable reels.
• Global production: plants in Finland, Austria, the United States, China and an India joint venture.

Vietnamese cable makers could license or source Exel cores to produce HTLS conductors for the domestic grid. Transmission and distribution utilities could reconductor congested 110 kV to 500 kV lines on existing towers to raise capacity, and renewable developers could use them to relieve grid connection bottlenecks.

According to Exel, HTLS conductors with its composite cores deliver about twice the transmission capacity, cut line losses by up to 50% and are 50% stronger than steel with almost zero elongation, reducing sag and allowing longer spans. Reconductoring on existing towers takes 12 to 24 months instead of the many years needed for new lines.

Grid operators must add transmission capacity quickly for renewable energy and rising demand, while new lines face long permitting. Reconductoring with HTLS composite core conductors is gaining ground as a faster option. Vietnam's growing power demand, solar and wind additions and congested transmission corridors make this approach relevant locally.

Founded in 1960, headquartered in Finland and listed on Nasdaq Helsinki, with over 600 employees. Sites in Joensuu and Mantyharju (Finland), Kapfenberg (Austria), Erlanger (US), Nanjing (China), a joint venture in Goa (India) and a sales office in Melbourne. Certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001; active in IEC and CIGRE committees.