General Cable's Ultrol® Products Pass 60-Year-Life Nuclear Qualification Testing
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KENTUCKY– General Cable (NYSE: BGC), one of the largest wire and cable manufacturers in the world, is proud to announce it has successfully completed third-party environmental qualification testing on its low-voltage line of ULTROL® 60+ nuclear qualified cable. For nearly four decades, ULTROL® cables, developed by Brand-Rex Company*, have answered the needs of the nuclear power market. Backed by a continued commitment to the nuclear industry and a dedicated nuclear team, General Cable’s ULTROL® 60+cables are intended to support both the existing nuclear fleet and Gen III reactors.
The role of legacy suppliers like General Cable has never been more important than it is today. With this established platform, General Cable began a five-year testing and certification program in 2008 to develop a second generation 60-year-life product line. Recognized for its advanced material innovations, General Cable’s system approach to cable construction reaches new levels of performance with ULTROL 60+.
Adhering to design control requirements from ASME NQA-1 and USNRC 10CFR50 Appendix B, under the regulatory guidelines of the utilities and reactor manufacturers, and extensive third-party testing ensures conformance of ULTROL® 60+ to all nuclear requirements. Kinectrics, formerly Ontario Hydro Technologies, and General Cable’s choice for testing and product qualification, completed thermal aging, radiation exposure and Design Basis Events (DBE) to a total integrated dosage of up to 350 MRad gamma radiation, proving a 60+ year service life. Confirmatory testing demonstrates that General Cable’s ULTROL 60+ products meet prior industry standards, as well as Gen III+ reactor profile requirements.
“Our proven track record stems from an intimate involvement and a strong position in the nuclear market,” said Robert W. Schuermann, Vice President and General Manager, Specialty Cables, General Cable North America. “Shortly after conferring with reactor manufacturers, design engineers and consultants, we focused on design, engineering and third-party testing to ensure that every cable component would meet the most demanding requirements for long-term performance and reliability. General Cable has been awarded a number of global contracts to supply cables to the nuclear generation market. Due to these recent test results, General Cable continues to position itself as a major nuclear cable supplier to new build installations.”
In addition to General Cable’s certified low-voltagecables, ULTROL 60+ medium-voltage cables are currently going through the same rigorous 60-year-life nuclear qualification testing. As one of the leading North American suppliers of medium-voltage cables to utility and industrial industries, General Cable combines exceptional cable manufacturing capabilities and experience with market-leading insulation and jacket materials to bring innovative solutions to the marketplace.
*1999 - General Cable acquired BICC Cables and Brand-Rex innovation and technology
General Cable (NYSE: BGC), a Fortune 500 Company headquartered in Highland Heights, Kentucky, is a global leader in the development, design, manufacture, marketing and distribution of copper, aluminum and fiber optic wire and cable products for the energy, industrial, specialty, construction and communications markets. General Cable, with annual revenues approaching $6 billion, has 57 manufacturing facilities in 26 countries and offers competitive strengths in such areas as breadth of product line, brand recognition, distribution and logistics, sales and service and operating efficiency. For more information about General Cable products, please contact your local sales representative or visit our Web site at www.generalcable.com.
CONTACT:
Karen Ouellette
Director Corporate Communications
(860) 465-8777
kouellette@generalcable.com
