India is the largest market for HTLS conductors globally: Epsilon Composite
- January 14, 2025
France-headquartered Epsilon Composite specializes in manufacturing high-efficiency cores used in HTLS conductors. Epsilon recently entered the Indian market through a strategic partnership with Transrail Lighting Ltd. In this exclusive interview, we have Alexandre LULL, Managing Director, Epsilon Composite, giving an in-depth understanding of high-efficiency cores from a technological perspective, whilst elaborating on how Epsilon Composite is significantly contributing towards meeting the demand for truly efficient HTLS conductors globally. Alexandre LULL confidently maintains that India, as the largest global market for HTLS conductors today, can immensely benefit from Epilson Composite’s offerings. An interview by Venugopal Pillai.
Let us start by understanding the various types of energy-efficient cores made by Epsilon that find application in HTLS conductors. Also, what is the “pultrusion” process that we hear about?
Pultrusion is, without a doubt, the most efficient manufacturing process for producing kilometers of high-performance composite profiles in a cost-effective way. As a continuous process, it can operate 24×7 using basic raw materials (fiber spools and matrix components) with minimal manpower, ensuring optimized costs and consistent quality.
For these reasons, the pultrusion process is ideal for producing composite cores for advanced conductors, for which we created a dedicated division, Epsilon Cable. Interestingly, the inventor of the pultrusion process is the same person who pioneered composite core conductors in the 1990s, long before the technology became widely adopted for overhead lines!
Epsilon Composite was founded in 1987 in France as the first company worldwide to focus on carbon fiber pultrusion. From a small pioneering venture, this family-owned business grew into a medium-sized global leader in this niche market, serving energy, industrial, and aerospace clients worldwide.
Building on several decades of expertise in carbon fiber pultrusion for critical applications such as oil & gas umbilicals, undersea cables, elevator ropes, and aircraft structural components, Epsilon Cable developed two main composite core technologies for overhead lines: HVCRC® “hybrid” composite cores and 100% carbon fiber cores. Both solutions offer proven benefits for specific use cases.
What is the critical difference between carbon fiber cores and glass-carbon fibre composite cores?
The main differences between these two technologies are the modulus of elasticity and the manufacturing cost.
Epsilon is the only supplier manufacturing both technologies, whereas all our competitors specialize in one or the other. Each technology has its pros and cons, depending on project requirements.
In terms of performance, 100% carbon fiber cores have a higher modulus of elasticity: 160 GPa for our full carbon cores versus 123 GPa for standard HVCRC® cores and 146 GPa for the HVCRC® ULS (Ultra High Modulus) version. This makes 100% carbon fiber cores particularly suitable for icy areas and large river crossings. This solution has been quite popular in Europe, where we have supplied projects in countries like France, Germany, Romania, and Denmark for more than 10 years. However, its higher cost and the lack of applicable standards have slowed its wider adoption.
In India, the 100% carbon fiber solution could be an interesting option for specific areas such as Jammu & Kashmir, but it may not be competitive in most cases compared to hybrid cores.
One reason for the higher cost of 100% carbon fiber cores is that they rely on an aluminum encapsulation to provide galvanic corrosion protection, which requires an additional step, adding challenges and costs. Although composite materials themselves are corrosion-proof, carbon fiber is electrically conductive, so aluminum strands would corrode without this protective layer.
On the other hand, HVCRC® is our most popular technology. It is qualified according to ASTM B987 and is more cost-efficient because its galvanic corrosion protection is integrated directly into the pultrusion process through a boron-free glass fiber layer, eliminating the need for additional steps.
Furthermore, the HVCRC® ULS variant uses carbon fibers with a higher modulus of elasticity, reaching up to 146 GPa. This nearly closes the gap with 100% carbon fiber cores, making it suitable for icy loads and very wide spans.
India is building significant green energy evacuation infrastructure, predominantly using the TBCB model. Would HVCRC be particularly relevant in this context?
HVCRC® is an interesting option for new lines, such as the 225kV project in Cameroon for which we recently completed production. However, it is more commonly used for reconductoring, as its high-temperature capability is not typically needed for new lines and involves significant upfront expenses.
To address this, we have developed a new type of advanced conductor called HVCRC® Lite. This offers the low-sag benefits of composite cores but with a lower maximum operating temperature and, therefore, a reduced cost. By enabling improved line designs for spans and structures, this range of conductors helps reduce capital expenses for new lines.
EFLA, a renowned European engineering firm, recently conducted a comprehensive study comparing the costs of building a new line with HVCRC® Lite conductors versus ACSR or Al 59 under Indian design standards. The study highlighted substantial savings on towers and foundations, with capital expenses reduced by approximately 15%. This technology is particularly suited for new lines, such as green energy corridors and TBCB projects.
“As of 2024, we have supplied 6,000 km of HVCRC® composite cores in about 20 countries across all continents.”
What has been Epsilon’s cumulative achievement in terms of supply of HVCRC cores worldwide. In how many countries do you have your presence in terms of conductors deployed? Also, what is the highest voltage (kV) class of conductors deployed with Epsilon cores, globally?
As of 2024, we have supplied 6,000 km of HVCRC® composite cores in about 20 countries across all continents, covering voltages from as low as 11kV for distribution lines up to 500kV transmission corridors.
Our first overhead line projects started in 2011 in Asia, followed by some emerging countries in Africa and Latin America who were early adopters of the technology. Utilities in many fast-developing economies have shown a strong interest in adopting innovative technologies like HTLS conductors to meet a growing domestic demand. In contrast, utilities in Western countries have historically adopted a more conservative approach, with less urgency due to more mature grids.
However, recent years have seen a sharp increase in the adoption of composite core conductors by utilities in Europe and the USA, especially for line voltages ranging from 110kV to 400kV.
“As of today, we have established effective partnerships with stranding companies in 12 countries, including India.”
Tell us about your manufacturing facilities and your global stranding partners.
All HVCRC® cores are manufactured in France at Epsilon Cable’s dedicated pultrusion factory, with a flexible production capacity to meet global market demands.
Our R&D team and headquarters are based at the same location, facilitating efficient communication and collaboration. Epsilon Composite’s other pultrusion factories are also based in the same location but focusing on industrial and civil engineering applications.
As of today, we have established effective partnerships with stranding companies in 12 countries, including India. In 2024, we announced several new promising partnerships with stranders in Asia and the Middle East, with additional partnerships set to be announced publicly in 2025.
We learn that Epsilon has tied up with Transrail Lighting Ltd for producing HTLS conductors using Epsilon HVCRC cores. Can we presume that this marks your maiden presence in India?
Yes, we established a strategic partnership with Transrail in 2023, although this was only publicly announced at the end of 2024 during Transrail’s IPO. In the meantime, we have collaborated closely with Transrail on their qualification and supported them in winning a major greenfield project in Africa, featuring more than 2,000 km of HVCRC® conductors.
Production for this project was completed ahead of schedule in December 2024, following smooth Factory Acceptance Tests. Alongside the projects in Bangladesh for PGCB, this is one of the largest projects of this type ever made, making it a significant milestone for both Transrail and Epsilon.
Regarding the Indian market, Transrail is now actively bidding for projects across all states.
What was the rationale behind selecting Transrail as your partner in India?
Transrail’s dual expertise as a strander and an EPC allows them to bid for EPC projects with an integrated offering. They were seeking a reliable and competitive partner to enter the composite HTLS market, and Epsilon provided the best alternative to the existing composite core manufacturers in the market.
Will the partnership with Transrail be exclusive? In the sense, would Epsilon be free to induct more stranding partners in India?
In addition to our partnership with Transrail, we are also working with other Indian stranders, including Lumino Industries Ltd and Shashi Cables Ltd. India is a vast country with enormous demand for HTLS conductors, so a single strander cannot efficiently cover all states and territories.
“CORECHECK® is a patented technology that allows easy verification of composite core integrity.”
Coming back to the technology, we understand that Epsilon also has a proprietary CORECHECK system for end-to-end checking of the core’s integrity. Tell us more.
CORECHECK® is a patented technology that allows easy verification of composite core integrity and the detection of potential defects or mishandling damage at any stage of a project—after core production, after conductor stranding, or after conductor installation.
While this is not a common requirement from Indian utilities today, we have the capability to test core integrity after installation if needed.
Does Epsilon deal with hardware associated with Epsilon-core conductors?
Historically, Epsilon has collaborated with Sicame Group, a renowned French company with a factory in Chennai. Together, we developed a complete range of compression fittings to ensure cost-effective and reliable installations without relying on proprietary technology.
Through a stringent qualification process, we’ve demonstrated the reliability of these compression fittings for composite cores. If required, alternative fittings such as wedge clamps can also be used with Epsilon advanced conductors.
“India is the largest market for HTLS conductors globally, but the demand is rising everywhere.”
We perceive that the HTLS conductor market globally is growing thanks to increasing awareness of energy efficiency. Which countries do you perceive present a big opportunity for HTLS conductor, and therefore to energy-efficient core manufacturers like Epsilon?
India is the largest market for HTLS conductors globally, but the demand is rising everywhere. The growth is fueled by the installation of renewables and the refurbishment of aging grids.
Following early adopters like India and Indonesia, HTLS technology is now becoming widespread in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Europe, and the USA. Large tenders involving composite core conductors are increasingly common in these regions.
“Epsilon has developed a specific conductor featuring a smaller composite core and compatible hardware, for the RDSS market in India.”
Speaking of the global market, how big is China as an international supplier of energy-efficient cores?
Chinese core manufacturers supply composite cores in some countries, but their quality issues are well-documented both in China and abroad. Additionally, unethical practices, such as forging documents and misrepresenting product performance during tenders, have damaged their reputation.
In most cases, even aggressive price dumping has not been sufficient for Chinese manufacturers to penetrate the market, as utilities prioritize reliable partners they can trust.
Coming back to India, how do you see the years ahead for Epsilon given that there is a big government push for reconductoring of existing transmission lines with HTLS conductors, with a view to limiting right-of-way constraints?
India’s rapid development, population growth, and expanding industrial base are driving the government’s focus on enhancing existing corridors with advanced conductors to meet increasing power demand. Reconductoring is the most efficient way to achieve this goal.
This trend also extends to distribution through the RDSS (Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme). Epsilon has developed a specific conductor for this market, featuring a smaller composite core and compatible hardware. This provides a high-quality, competitively priced product with the added benefit of reduced electrical losses.
The increased involvement of the private sector through TBCB and GEC funding is also a great incentive to introduce innovative technologies such as HVCRC® Lite.
Do you foresee Epsilon eventually putting up a core manufacturing facility in India?
We see significant potential for HVCRC® and HVCRC® Lite in India and are preparing to establish a local factory to serve the Indian market more effectively.
