Ducab HV Opening

Ducab, jointly owned by public sector entities Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) and General Holding Corporation (GHC), (50% each), has one of the most modern manufacturing units in the region. It occupies an area of 590,000 square meters in Jebel Ali, Dubai and nearly 330,000 square meters in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi spread over 2 factories. Today, the Ducab Group has the capability of producing over 105,000 copper tonnes equivalent of low voltage, medium and high voltage cables, emerging as the leader and the first choice of prestigious customers in the Middle East. Recently Ducab launched its AED 500 million (USD 136 million) Ducab-HV plant which will produce high voltage cables.

Product Range

The Ducab Group’s product range covers High Voltage cables up to 400kV, Ducab Powerplus Medium Voltage cables up to 33kV, Low Voltage power cables, control & auxiliary, wiring and lead-sheathed cables, Ducab-Smokemaster- Low Smoke and Fume cables, and Ducab-FR (Fire Resistance Cables), cable components and cable accessories, as well as copper rod that Ducab manufacture in their own copper rod plant.

Certifications & Honors

Ducab is an ISO 9001:2000 certified company and also has certification to the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety issued by BASEC (British Approval Services for Cables). Ducab cables are also approved by the Loss Prevention Certificate Board (LPCB) and Lloyd’s Register, UK. These certifications are the latest in a string of recognitions achieved by the company, including a two time winner of Gulf Excellence Award, two time winner of Dubai Quality Award, Gold category 2004 & 1998.

In 2009 Ducab was honoured with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Business Excellence Award for their achievements in the manufacturing sector; this award ceremony was in the presence of H.H Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. Ducab has also won other awards such as the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Economic Value Creation in the Industrial Sector.

Ducab-HV

Ducab-HV is a joint venture between Ducab (50%), DEWA (25%) and ADWEA (25%) to manufacture and sell cable systems in the voltage range 66kV (66,000 Volts) to 400kV (400,000 Volts) covering the highest voltage currently used in the GCC. It is the first dedicated HV facility in the region, and covers a built area of 30,000 sqm on a 93,000 sqm premises at the Ducab Jebel Ali site.

The plant’s most prominent characteristic is a 148m tower equivalent to a 44 storey tower, housing state of the art extrusion equipment designed to ensure that the very high voltage products are manufactured to the highest standards necessary to provide faultless service. The tower, thought to be the tallest industrial tower in the GCC, also contains a series of Clean Room facilities in the top levels to ensure no contamination of the critical cable insulation.

Ducab-HV was announced during WETEX in April 2009, with a ground breaking ceremony in November 2009 attended by HH Sheikh Hamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and HH Sheikh Majed Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum. A CEO was appointed in March 2010, and the tower completion ceremony took place in November 2010 in the presence of Saeed Al Tayer, Saeed Al Darmaki, Ahmed Al Sheikh, Abubaker Al Khouri and Tariq Khansaheb.

H.H. Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, inaugurated Ducab-HV’s new factory on November 29th 2011, in a ceremony also attended by H.H. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court.

Ducab HV has the capability of manufacturing 1500km, or 30,000 tonnes, of high voltage underground cable per year, using 15,000 tonnes of copper.

Technological Advantage

Ducab-HV will offer the latest in global HV technology to the UAE and the region, and will increase Ducab’s production capacity by 15,000 tonnes of conductor, totaling 30,000 tonnes of cable. Offering High Voltage cable systems up to 400 kV, the plant is the most advanced in the region and is designed to ensure that the high voltage products are manufactured to the stringent quality standards demanded both regionally and internationally. The plant uses Vertical CV line technology for high voltage cables to ensure superior product quality.

Ducab-HV will benefit the UAE economy by offering an excellent quality alternative to imports, and will cover the highest voltages used in the GCC, ensuring that our utility partners and other customers can source vital energy infrastructure cables from a local supplier.

R&D Capabilities

Ducab-HV has a state of the art High Voltage Laboratory for specialised extremely high voltage testing and world-class R&D. The High Voltage Laboratory’s construction is based on a Faraday Cage design to minimize electrical interference, and the facility carries out testing at elevated temperatures to simulate fully loaded conditions. The Laboratory offers Voltage Testing to 600 kV, and Lightning Simulation to 1,900 kV.

Future Plans

Ducab is firmly geared towards international expansion, taking advantage of opportunities to sell its high quality products in other markets. Ducab is already selling across regional markets but over the next few years will expand its manufacturing presence to some of key regional markets to ensure proximity to customers.

The UAE will continue to be a core market, while countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, North, South and Western Africa, Asia and Europe also look particularly promising in terms of business development. Ducab will continue to focus its traditional strengths of customer service coupled with product quality, with the strong belief that such commitment to high quality and exceptional value will continue to drive the sale of Ducab cables and allied products across the region.

Perspective on Global Wire & Cable Industry

There are two key drivers for future demand. On the one hand, developed markets the network of HV cables installed in the 1960’s and 1970’s is coming to the end of its life, and will require replacing. On the other, developing markets are generating huge demand as they build their infrastructures to provide for the increasing demand for electricity.

Indian Market

India is a rapidly expanding market, where development is definitely driving demand for infrastructural components such as cables. Ducab is exploring ways of helping meet this demand and would like to play its part in meeting the market requirements. Ducab has already supplied specialist fire performance cables to the Indian market.

Ducab HV Opening