1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:04,640 Speaker 1: Welcome to Zero. I am Akshatrati. This week breakthroughs on 2 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 1: the Grid. If you're caught up on the last few 3 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:22,480 Speaker 1: episodes of Zero, we've been talking about the grid, how 4 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: it so magically brings electricity into our homes, and what 5 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: is going to take to update and upgrade the grid 6 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: as we electrify more and more of our world. A 7 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: good amount of the grid is visible. You've seen miles 8 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 1: and miles of cables that bring you electricity, more than 9 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: thirty million miles actually, but there's a lot that you 10 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:48,160 Speaker 1: don't see. You don't see or hear about the people 11 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:52,559 Speaker 1: whose labor and ideas make the grid better. So in 12 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: our third episode and for now final episode of the 13 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: Grid series, we look at one such innovation. What if 14 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:03,320 Speaker 1: instead of rolling out new cables, we gave the old 15 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:06,760 Speaker 1: ones a high tech makeover. I don't know if there's 16 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 1: it's I'm sure I'm missing something. It just it makes 17 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: no sense to me that this is not bendable. 18 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 2: If you have a sharp age here, yeah, it's gonna snap. Yes, 19 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:21,200 Speaker 2: that had been the problem of the order generation product. Yeah. 20 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 2: When you have the aluminum protectingly carbon core, yeah, now 21 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 2: you can bend it. You will yield. But you were nasnat. 22 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 1: That's Jason Hung. He has a PhD in material science, 23 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 1: and he's used that expertise to launch a startup focused 24 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 1: on equipping the grid with a new generation of extremely 25 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:45,040 Speaker 1: durable cables. Because we'll talk a lot about cables in 26 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: this episode, let me try to tell you a little 27 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 1: bit more. First, the cables that are deployed for high 28 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: voltage transmission, essentially those hanging between pylons, look nothing like 29 00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: a normal wire. It's not just a bigger version of 30 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 1: a cylindrical copper wire covered in insulation, the kind you 31 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 1: use for a phone charger. Instead, it's a steel cable 32 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 1: that provides strength to a bunch of insulated aluminum wires 33 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,640 Speaker 1: that are wound around the steel cable, all of which 34 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: is then wrapped in insulation. TS Conductor's main innovation has 35 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:24,640 Speaker 1: been replacing the steel cable core with a carbon fiber 36 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 1: core and making circular aluminum cables be trapezoidal in shape. 37 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 1: That means they can use the space more efficiently, and 38 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 1: Monk tells me these new cables can carry as much 39 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 1: as three times more electricity, a game changer and maybe 40 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 1: the first of many big innovations on the grid that 41 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:51,360 Speaker 1: will cumulatively have huge impacts. I sat down with Jason 42 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 1: at the Breakthrough Energy Summit in London in June to 43 00:02:54,760 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 1: find out more. Jason, welcome to the show. 44 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:13,520 Speaker 2: Thank you very much, Thanks for the opportunity to be here. 45 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: Now, there's a term that I know you're very familiar with, 46 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:21,920 Speaker 1: but which listeners may or may not be familiar with. Reconductoring. 47 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:25,799 Speaker 1: It refers to replacing old transmission lines with sturdy, new 48 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 1: high capacity conductors. And one reason is to make the 49 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: lines stronger, strong enough to be able to withstand heavy winds, 50 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: durable enough to have very little sagging, because sagging lines 51 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 1: can spark wildfires. But there's another reason, which has to 52 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 1: do with the energy transition. Can you explain what reconductoring is. 53 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 2: Yeah. Reconductoring typically refers to the need to use a 54 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 2: different conductor than the conductor that's used. This involved two situations. 55 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 2: One is you don't have to retrofit any struck. The 56 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 2: other one you may have to retrofit the structure, make 57 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 2: them taller because there's a lot more sag, or the 58 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 2: cross arms of the tower had to be strengthened because 59 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 2: you're using a behavior conductor and I should add a 60 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:20,640 Speaker 2: comment about the reconductoring. Why utility does reconductoring. It is 61 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 2: actually principally driven by capacity. They have capacity constrain, a bottleneck, 62 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 2: for example, so they are looking at a higher capacity 63 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:34,479 Speaker 2: conductor to the bottomneck the grid. 64 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 1: Well, but before we get to exploring how exactly TES 65 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 1: conductor solves this problem, let's go to the basics of 66 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:46,279 Speaker 1: what a cable today looks like. Most people think it's 67 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:49,279 Speaker 1: going to be copper that carries electricity, but you said 68 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:53,839 Speaker 1: it's aluminum. Now I'm holding a piece of what a 69 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 1: TS conductor wire would look like, and it's multiple layers 70 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 1: of aluminum. And they're also not round, not all of them, 71 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 1: some of them are flat. So why do we have 72 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 1: this kind of structure today and why is it not copper? 73 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 2: That's an excellent question. Copper is simply too expensive and 74 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 2: too heavy. When you compare copper with aluminium, copper is 75 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:20,640 Speaker 2: three times the weight of aluminum, and the cost of 76 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 2: copper on a per pound basis is three times the 77 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 2: cost of aluminum. So you are looking at copper versus aluminum, 78 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 2: it's a nine x cost and for a connectivity that 79 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 2: is less than two x, So it's a lousy trade 80 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:38,640 Speaker 2: off in terms of using copper for overhead lines. In 81 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 2: terms of traditional conductor, why we use normally round aluminum 82 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,839 Speaker 2: strand and steer being round as well steer wires In 83 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:52,719 Speaker 2: the conventional conductor simply round is easier to make, but 84 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:56,920 Speaker 2: you also leave a lot of space in between these 85 00:05:57,160 --> 00:05:59,599 Speaker 2: round strand because there are a lot of gaps in there, 86 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 2: and that is a poor usage of the conductor space. 87 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 2: In the TS configuration, we use trapsort or wire, and 88 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:12,799 Speaker 2: the trap wire gives you a much greater packing density. 89 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:15,680 Speaker 2: We can achieve easily in ninety three percent packing or 90 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:20,720 Speaker 2: more around they're probably by seventy three percent, So you're 91 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,840 Speaker 2: able to integrate more aluminum with the trap wire. So 92 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 2: it's a better design, a better way to build a conductor. 93 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 1: Now, when I heard about your company first, and you 94 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:34,679 Speaker 1: are in the business of reconductoring, you're in the business 95 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: of making cables that can carry two or three times 96 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:43,160 Speaker 1: as much electricity as cables today do. When I first 97 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 1: heard about it, I was surprised that that is something 98 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 1: that can be done. You know, I understand you can 99 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: get some increase in conductance, but two times three times 100 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:56,520 Speaker 1: is that surprise? Normal? Or is this an industry secret 101 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:59,440 Speaker 1: that just never got out of the industry. 102 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 2: Think twice the capacity. You have other technologies who actually 103 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 2: could achieve it. The challenge is can you do it 104 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:15,239 Speaker 2: without retrofitting the structures. That's important. What's unique about TS 105 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 2: technology is it's actually reflected in the name T and S. 106 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:25,239 Speaker 2: The T stands for technology. It is really about material 107 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 2: science and the technology. We simply integrate the best material 108 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 2: science had to offer today in building conductor, not over 109 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:38,200 Speaker 2: one hundred years ago, what was available and what we 110 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 2: have in TS. We use the most conductive type of aluminum. 111 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 2: We also use carbon fiber composite as a strength number. 112 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 2: It is the lightest way possible or strongest core material possible, 113 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 2: yet at the same time, it has no summer expansion. 114 00:07:56,120 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 2: That's what allows this conductor to, for example, run at 115 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 2: high temperature without the sagging issue. Why because the carbon 116 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 2: core doesn't have a summer expansion, and it allows us 117 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 2: to add far more aluminum to the conductor without the 118 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 2: weight penalty. Why because when the steel is replaced with 119 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:19,720 Speaker 2: carbon core, we save about eighty percent of the weight 120 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:24,640 Speaker 2: from steel. So you're packing the better conducting aluminum and 121 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 2: you are not creating the weight penalty. And lastly, a 122 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 2: neared aluminum, which is more conductive. They do not have strengths. However, 123 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:38,600 Speaker 2: with carbon composite it is twice the strength of steel. 124 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:41,199 Speaker 2: You actually end up with a conductor that is stronger, 125 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 2: even though the aluminum is less strong compared to other 126 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:47,000 Speaker 2: aluminum options. 127 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:51,120 Speaker 1: Now you're going to do two things in replacing old wires. 128 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:54,520 Speaker 1: You're going to increase the density of the aluminum wire. 129 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 1: You're going to change the type of aluminum that is 130 00:08:56,960 --> 00:08:58,679 Speaker 1: used so that it can carry more power. And then 131 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:01,680 Speaker 1: the most important thing is that you're replacing the core, 132 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 1: the thing that holds all of this together, from steel 133 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:09,280 Speaker 1: to carbon fiber. All of that sounds fun and clearly, 134 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 1: if you can make this work, all the great people 135 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 1: would want you to provide these cables. At what stage 136 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:19,560 Speaker 1: are you at deploying this technology at a commercial scale. 137 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 2: We have been doing volume manufacturing of TS conductors and 138 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:28,840 Speaker 2: we've been doing commercial deployment since twenty twenty one. Our 139 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 2: first commercial deployment here in US is with Montana Dakota 140 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:37,679 Speaker 2: Utility early twenty twenty one. It's a two hundred and 141 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 2: thirty kV line. We were able to save the utility 142 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 2: about forty percent in total project apex. And since that time, 143 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:49,280 Speaker 2: we have also been working with utilities on new transmission 144 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:54,719 Speaker 2: lines because we're able to enable fewer and shorter structures 145 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 2: building new lines as long as we're included in the 146 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 2: d design phase so that you can fully leverage what 147 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:04,120 Speaker 2: TS can offer. 148 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:07,600 Speaker 1: And so you've been deploying since twenty twenty one. What's 149 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 1: the total number of miles of cables that you have 150 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:10,839 Speaker 1: deployed so far? 151 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, they're in the thousands in terms of kilometers or miles. 152 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 2: And we have been very blessed with utility support, but 153 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:23,760 Speaker 2: not all utilities are anxious to jump on new technologies. 154 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:27,480 Speaker 2: And when you look at US utilities, it is a 155 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:30,760 Speaker 2: target rich environment. You got more than one hundred you 156 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:34,600 Speaker 2: must own utilities. There are thousands of municipal utility and 157 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:39,760 Speaker 2: co ops. So there are plenty of utility who are nimble, 158 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:44,839 Speaker 2: who are proactive, and we have been blessed with utilities 159 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:46,520 Speaker 2: that are more progressive. 160 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:49,559 Speaker 1: But there's a start that I recently saw and it 161 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:53,360 Speaker 1: really jumped out at me because it said that the 162 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:57,080 Speaker 1: world will need to nearly double its electric grid to 163 00:10:57,240 --> 00:11:01,520 Speaker 1: one hundred and eleven million kilometers. That's a distance equal 164 00:11:01,559 --> 00:11:04,200 Speaker 1: to almost three quarters of the way to the sun. 165 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 1: So we're talking about all this grid groundwork that has 166 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:14,360 Speaker 1: been laid since eighteen eighty, one hundred and forty years ago, 167 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:18,160 Speaker 1: and now all of that needs to be doubled in 168 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 1: the next twenty five years. When did you realize that 169 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:26,200 Speaker 1: the grid challenge is something you wanted to work on? 170 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:29,600 Speaker 2: One, it is the opportunity to make a difference for 171 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 2: humanity for the world, especially when you talk about climate change, 172 00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:38,960 Speaker 2: energy transition. This is the existential threat for humanity, and 173 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 2: it is also about preserving the environment for future generations. 174 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 2: So it's a worthy effort. We have been very blessed 175 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:52,200 Speaker 2: with a great technology, perfect timing as well, and along 176 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:56,800 Speaker 2: the way we really were blessed with investors who share 177 00:11:56,880 --> 00:12:00,840 Speaker 2: our perspective. By the way, we're a public andfit corporation 178 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:04,920 Speaker 2: in the US, and our public benefit focus is sustainable 179 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:09,479 Speaker 2: development in greenhouse gas emission reduction. We take that very seriously. 180 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:13,400 Speaker 1: Now, the powerlines that are currently in use, the ones 181 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 1: that have these round cables, are designs that date back 182 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 1: to the nineteen hundreds early nineteen hundreds, and they are 183 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:26,640 Speaker 1: definitely due for an upgrade. But why did it take 184 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:29,400 Speaker 1: so long for somebody like a TS conductor to come 185 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:32,439 Speaker 1: in and think of a new design. It just baffles 186 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:35,960 Speaker 1: my mind that we did not think of this efficiency 187 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:40,720 Speaker 1: gain just in packing design, if not in carbon fiber 188 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:42,640 Speaker 1: material until now. 189 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:45,680 Speaker 2: That's a great question. I think we have to recognize 190 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:51,080 Speaker 2: power grade utility companies. They are monopoly by design. They 191 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 2: do not have to innovate or compete the way private 192 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:58,000 Speaker 2: industries though, and they are also risk avers. They have 193 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:02,920 Speaker 2: an intense focus on safe and reliability longevity of their 194 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:08,280 Speaker 2: transmission asset. And with all of that in mind, new 195 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:12,040 Speaker 2: technology adoption by the power grid is very slow and 196 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:18,320 Speaker 2: very challenging. Yes, only one hand. There are technologies that 197 00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:22,720 Speaker 2: take advantage of the trapsoid or close packing even with 198 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:28,440 Speaker 2: traditional conductor. I've seen conductors offered by manufacturers to do that. 199 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:35,240 Speaker 2: But fundamentally progress in conductor is dependent on material science progress, 200 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:42,040 Speaker 2: and when you have better materials, you have better conductor options. 201 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:47,280 Speaker 2: But when you have better conductors, you also have to 202 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:49,520 Speaker 2: check the box for the utility in terms of their 203 00:13:49,559 --> 00:13:54,400 Speaker 2: concern on practicality, safety, reliability, longevity easy to work with 204 00:13:55,040 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 2: that is not easy. There are older generation advanced conducts. 205 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:05,679 Speaker 2: They have failed in that category. This is really where 206 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:10,400 Speaker 2: TS shines the name TS. The second part of the 207 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:14,880 Speaker 2: later s. It is about safety. It is about safety 208 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:19,320 Speaker 2: reliability design into the product that is done through this 209 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:24,640 Speaker 2: aluminum encapsulation. Protection for the carbon composite core that had 210 00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:27,600 Speaker 2: been missing in the prior generation product. 211 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:32,000 Speaker 1: So you said, there are material science developments that you 212 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:34,720 Speaker 1: needed to be able to make the TS conductor cable 213 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:39,520 Speaker 1: that you sell today. What specifically were the material science developments. 214 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:44,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, when you look at the evolution of conductors, you know, 215 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:47,200 Speaker 2: we have steel. One hundred years ago, the steel wasn't 216 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:50,880 Speaker 2: as strong, and then later on the steel industry was 217 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:54,840 Speaker 2: able to offer higher strength steelers. So the sagging problem 218 00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:57,600 Speaker 2: we steal. In, the corrosion problem we steal. You have 219 00:14:57,680 --> 00:15:01,480 Speaker 2: to address that. So this is why posit core came in. 220 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 2: That reduces the sommer expansion which is a sac and 221 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:08,760 Speaker 2: also reduces the weight, which allows you to build the 222 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:13,160 Speaker 2: towers lighter and shorter and span them further. So the 223 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 2: composite came around initially with a glass carbon hybrid core 224 00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:22,520 Speaker 2: to replace stel. It wasn't as ideal because you cannot 225 00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:27,040 Speaker 2: use these conductors for heavy ice regions, for regions that 226 00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:31,400 Speaker 2: has very long span or wind blowout. And when it 227 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:35,440 Speaker 2: came to TS, we did not have to use fiberglass 228 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:40,480 Speaker 2: because we can use our aluminium encapsulation as the corrosion 229 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:44,920 Speaker 2: barrier against galvanic corrosion. So we can get rid of fiberglass, 230 00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 2: allow more aluminum to be integraded into our conductor, and 231 00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 2: you have better properties from carbon composite. And then on 232 00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:57,480 Speaker 2: top of that we have this protective layer of the 233 00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 2: aluminum encapsulation protection that's made the technology work. This is 234 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 2: all evolution of material science. 235 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:07,280 Speaker 1: And you got me a sample of the core, the 236 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 1: composite core. I'm holding a feet long black plastic looking thing. 237 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 1: It is hard. I don't want to bend it. I 238 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:21,440 Speaker 1: feel like I might break it. Yeah, how can a 239 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:24,520 Speaker 1: cable which you look at a pylon and it looks 240 00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:30,760 Speaker 1: like a slightly elongated U shape come from this which 241 00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:33,240 Speaker 1: looks like a hard thing that might break if I 242 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 1: try and sag it. 243 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:40,280 Speaker 2: That's an excellent question because that's also what made this 244 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:46,920 Speaker 2: technology pandable. When this concept originally were developed, the initial 245 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 2: or thought was is this even practical? Because you have 246 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 2: to loop the conductor in the spool and ship it 247 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:56,960 Speaker 2: to the job site. Right. They were able to wrap 248 00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:02,200 Speaker 2: it in a real in the initial concept trial. That's 249 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:07,400 Speaker 2: what made this technology special because it is against conventional wisdom. 250 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:12,560 Speaker 2: This is why the inventor is not from the conductor industry, 251 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:16,359 Speaker 2: because anybody who worked in the conductor industry like the 252 00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:20,080 Speaker 2: connector to be flexible, and when it is stiff like that, 253 00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:26,119 Speaker 2: it won't work. However, the composite core, especially with the 254 00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:32,000 Speaker 2: aluminium encapsulation protection, you actually have more bendable. It takes 255 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:35,960 Speaker 2: more force, but it can be bend into a tighter radius. 256 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:38,919 Speaker 2: And that's why it is robust in the field. That 257 00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:43,359 Speaker 2: you're not going to be breaking the composite when it 258 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:45,800 Speaker 2: is mishandled in the field. So if I try and 259 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:49,919 Speaker 2: bend it will break without protection. It might if the 260 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:53,520 Speaker 2: radius is too small, but if you have the aluminum 261 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:59,359 Speaker 2: encapsulation on one, you won't have enough strengths to bend 262 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:02,879 Speaker 2: it too. If you do bend it, it has that 263 00:18:03,359 --> 00:18:10,640 Speaker 2: ability to accommodate the bendings better than the unprotected composite core. 264 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:14,520 Speaker 1: Now, you talked about thousands of miles in the US, 265 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:19,520 Speaker 1: but I'm assuming reconductoring has to be done all around 266 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:22,120 Speaker 1: the world. The grid has been quite an old grid, 267 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:25,600 Speaker 1: especially in developed countries. So are you getting interested in 268 00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 1: reconductoring in other parts of the world. Yes. 269 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:33,239 Speaker 2: I was actually in Poland on Monday and they are 270 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 2: very interested in our technology. I'm flying to Romania in 271 00:18:37,119 --> 00:18:41,640 Speaker 2: n in Turkey. So we are seeing TS getting recognized 272 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:46,359 Speaker 2: and being made aware to international utilities as well. That's 273 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:50,080 Speaker 2: been one of our challenges because we're a US based company. 274 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:54,040 Speaker 2: We're being focused on execution in supporting US customers, so 275 00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:58,840 Speaker 2: we're not as well known and we oftentimes get lumped 276 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 2: with the older generation advanced conductor or the problems that 277 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:06,920 Speaker 2: were associated with the older generation product. They were automatically 278 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:10,320 Speaker 2: assumed on TS, and we have to do a better 279 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 2: job articulating why TS is different. How we solve the 280 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:21,880 Speaker 2: problem for the utilities, including technical performance, affordability as well 281 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:26,679 Speaker 2: as practicality in terms of workmanship in the field, and 282 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:33,920 Speaker 2: is there any longevity, reliability, safety concerns. We check all 283 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:34,960 Speaker 2: of those boxes. 284 00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:39,440 Speaker 1: Are there incidents of previous generation of advanced conductors that 285 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:43,360 Speaker 1: caused utilities to become much more conservative? 286 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:47,879 Speaker 2: Yes, that have been the case. That's why there is 287 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:52,200 Speaker 2: the bad perception in terms of older generation advanced conductor, 288 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 2: they're delicate, they're difficult to work with, and they're easy 289 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:57,159 Speaker 2: to break. 290 00:19:57,400 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 1: Can you give me examples. 291 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:05,239 Speaker 2: I'd rather refrain from that because these are, you know, 292 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:09,200 Speaker 2: in a way, our competition, and sometimes it's better kind 293 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:11,800 Speaker 2: of live it out because I don't want to ban 294 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:14,640 Speaker 2: mouse our supposedly competitions. 295 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 1: Jason was hesitant to trash his competitors, no surprise, but 296 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:28,880 Speaker 1: it kind of also makes sense because in this industry 297 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:33,240 Speaker 1: there's a lot on the line, no pun intended. In July, 298 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:38,600 Speaker 1: ts Conductor raised sixty million dollars. These days, raising that 299 00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:41,880 Speaker 1: kind of money is a big deal. Jason did tell 300 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:44,920 Speaker 1: me about some of the failed scientific efforts others have tried, 301 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:47,960 Speaker 1: and it all gets a bit technical, but it comes 302 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:51,040 Speaker 1: down to the challenge of making a core cable that 303 00:20:51,119 --> 00:20:54,040 Speaker 1: can withstand the stress the wire as a whole is 304 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:57,440 Speaker 1: put under. Some have tried making the composite core out 305 00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:00,800 Speaker 1: of ceramics or glass, but neither have proven to be 306 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:04,680 Speaker 1: durable enough. After the break, Jason and I talk about 307 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:08,680 Speaker 1: the market realities of reconductoring. And by the way, if 308 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:11,080 Speaker 1: you've been enjoying this episode, please take a moment to 309 00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:13,919 Speaker 1: rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 310 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:26,040 Speaker 1: It helps other listeners find the show. One reason why 311 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:31,280 Speaker 1: reconductoring is also crucial is because getting planning and permitting 312 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:35,760 Speaker 1: for new transmission lines is just becoming harder and harder 313 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:39,320 Speaker 1: almost everywhere, especially in developed countries in America and Europe. 314 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:44,080 Speaker 1: And so if you're able to replace the same cables 315 00:21:44,119 --> 00:21:47,840 Speaker 1: of an existing transmission line with higher capacity, you can 316 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:51,800 Speaker 1: avoid building a new transmission line to some extent. Is 317 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:55,960 Speaker 1: that what is driving the demand right now for reconductoring 318 00:21:56,240 --> 00:21:58,719 Speaker 1: or are there other reasons that are driving the demand. 319 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:03,320 Speaker 2: That is the exact reason, because building new lines is 320 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:06,320 Speaker 2: getting more and more difficult, as you stated, in terms 321 00:22:06,359 --> 00:22:11,160 Speaker 2: of permitting reconductoring oftentimes you can do it without much 322 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:14,639 Speaker 2: of a permitting effort, especially when you can leave the 323 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:18,960 Speaker 2: towers alone. That you are just swapping the conductors and 324 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 2: you can get two x or three x capacity with 325 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:28,360 Speaker 2: for example, or TS conductor. And that is also the fastest, 326 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:34,200 Speaker 2: the cheapest way of getting more capacity to our power grid. 327 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:38,400 Speaker 2: So there is that economics in there as well. Think 328 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:41,440 Speaker 2: about it in the US, for example, if you build 329 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:45,760 Speaker 2: new lines, the cost of conductor they're very low. You know, 330 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:49,159 Speaker 2: one percent two percent, three percent is quite typical. On 331 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:52,160 Speaker 2: the structural related cost, they could be as much as 332 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:56,280 Speaker 2: thirty percent. So when you do reconductoring, you are only 333 00:22:56,480 --> 00:23:01,240 Speaker 2: working with that one two three percent of the Now 334 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:07,240 Speaker 2: you are suddenly doubling or tripling the outcome the capacity. 335 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:11,280 Speaker 2: There's just no better way of getting a better return 336 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:14,480 Speaker 2: compared to reconductoring. So that is the way to go. 337 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:19,080 Speaker 1: So utilities are now knocking on your door, they want 338 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:22,439 Speaker 1: these cables. How are you manufacturing them? And how are 339 00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:23,760 Speaker 1: you scaling up manufacturing? 340 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:29,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, we have existing manufacturer operation in California. We are 341 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:32,760 Speaker 2: already expanding and we just leased another building and we're 342 00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:36,520 Speaker 2: adding additional machines. We are also looking at building a 343 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:39,840 Speaker 2: mega facility in the East Coast. We'll make a decision 344 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:42,680 Speaker 2: in about a month in terms of where we will 345 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:47,720 Speaker 2: do the mega facility. Even that is probably just a 346 00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:52,120 Speaker 2: small down payment in terms of the conductor manufacturing capacity 347 00:23:52,119 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 2: that we need, just even for us long term. 348 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:58,840 Speaker 1: And how big are these facilities, like how many miles 349 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:01,639 Speaker 1: of cable do they? Pretty annual basis. 350 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:04,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, in California we can do three thousand myers of 351 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:10,119 Speaker 2: complete conductor and with two to three thousand miers of 352 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:16,560 Speaker 2: encapsuley core, which is the most essential element inside that 353 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:20,240 Speaker 2: we can use that partner with other companies that does 354 00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 2: conductors training for them to make the complete conductor. The 355 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 2: East Coast expansion that we're looking at, we're looking at 356 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:31,000 Speaker 2: ten times capacity compared to our California operation. 357 00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:34,600 Speaker 1: Now, very few people tell me they're building a manufacturing 358 00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:38,800 Speaker 1: plant in America, where land is more expensive, labor is 359 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:42,199 Speaker 1: more expensive, permitting is harder. They typically go to Asia. 360 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:47,360 Speaker 2: How come you have, well, you have some other geopolitics involved. 361 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:51,480 Speaker 2: There's the own shore of manufacturing operations in the US, 362 00:24:52,119 --> 00:24:54,040 Speaker 2: and even in the US, when you look at the 363 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:58,479 Speaker 2: power grade upgrade, the whole industry is handicapped. White supply 364 00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:03,760 Speaker 2: chain constraint. Transformer could take four years, switch gears as 365 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:07,439 Speaker 2: much time as well. Conductors the lead time is fifty 366 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:14,640 Speaker 2: to seventy weeks. And the better way of delivering conductor 367 00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:17,439 Speaker 2: is they are made in America so that they're not 368 00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:22,560 Speaker 2: dependent on foreign country. When there's something, you know, bad happens, 369 00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:25,679 Speaker 2: you still have a secure supply chain in place. 370 00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:29,680 Speaker 1: But does that not make your product more expensive? Yes? 371 00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:33,480 Speaker 2: No, no, you know the product itself, it has a 372 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:37,280 Speaker 2: modest premium over conventional conductor. However, when you look at 373 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:42,360 Speaker 2: it from project cost spases, we offer better value than 374 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:46,440 Speaker 2: all the other options, whether you do new lines or reconductoring. 375 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:50,879 Speaker 2: So it is a situation that we can manage. And 376 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:54,400 Speaker 2: also utilities in the US, some of them are requiring 377 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:58,520 Speaker 2: made in America. That made it essential that we make 378 00:25:58,600 --> 00:26:00,000 Speaker 2: the conductors in the. 379 00:26:00,760 --> 00:26:03,439 Speaker 1: But with demand coming from Europe, are you thinking of 380 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:04,840 Speaker 1: building a plant in Europe too? 381 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:10,880 Speaker 2: Absolutely, because we need climate change solutions around the globe. 382 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:13,920 Speaker 2: You know you cannot just solve the problem in America 383 00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:16,760 Speaker 2: or Western Europe. You also have to address needs in 384 00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:21,639 Speaker 2: Africa Asia as well, So we will be building additional 385 00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:26,120 Speaker 2: manufacturing facilities around the world to support energy transition. 386 00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:30,760 Speaker 1: And what could make you not succeed well, I. 387 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:33,639 Speaker 2: Think there are a couple of things. One is execution. 388 00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:37,879 Speaker 2: When you are managing a growth company, you have to 389 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:41,959 Speaker 2: have the talent in place to execute your growth strategy. 390 00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:45,960 Speaker 2: I think, more than anything else, having the right people 391 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:50,080 Speaker 2: in place to execute is very important. The other part 392 00:26:50,160 --> 00:26:53,119 Speaker 2: is we always have to keep our customer in mind. 393 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:57,720 Speaker 2: These are customers that they rely on you. We need 394 00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:02,680 Speaker 2: to make sure we meet their expectation in product quality product, 395 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:06,280 Speaker 2: delivery time, and be able to continue to offer better 396 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:09,040 Speaker 2: value for them. Thank or the other options somewhere I 397 00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:12,720 Speaker 2: war to thank you Jason, Thank you very much, really 398 00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:14,400 Speaker 2: appreciate the opportunity to be here. 399 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:26,520 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to Zero. If you liked this episode, 400 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:28,760 Speaker 1: please take a moment to rate or review the show 401 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:32,000 Speaker 1: on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Share this episode with a 402 00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:36,760 Speaker 1: friend or with someone who likes trapezoids. If you haven't 403 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:39,240 Speaker 1: already listened to the other episodes in the Grid series, 404 00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:41,800 Speaker 1: I would urge you to check out the previous two 405 00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:45,560 Speaker 1: episodes where we talked to Keith Anderson, CEO of Scottish 406 00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:49,679 Speaker 1: Power and to Sunjit Sanghera of the National Grid. And 407 00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:52,520 Speaker 1: now for the sound of the week. This one was 408 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:56,200 Speaker 1: suggested by Sunjee, who knows this sound all too well. 409 00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:07,480 Speaker 1: That's the sound of an emergency circuit breaker at a substation. 410 00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:11,399 Speaker 1: The voltages are so high that even when the metal 411 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:15,560 Speaker 1: connection is broken, electricity uses air itself as a way 412 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:20,520 Speaker 1: to complete the circuit, causing all that crackling sound. Fortunately, 413 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:23,760 Speaker 1: it only lasts for a little while, and these breakers 414 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:28,080 Speaker 1: are crucial for delivering power safely. If you have a 415 00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:30,159 Speaker 1: suggestion for a Sound of the week, or you have 416 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:33,040 Speaker 1: comments or questions, get in touch at Zero pod at 417 00:28:33,040 --> 00:28:36,800 Speaker 1: bloomberg dot net. Zero's producer is Mighty le Rau. Bloomberg's 418 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:42,000 Speaker 1: Head of Podcast is Sage Bowman and Head of Talk 419 00:28:42,120 --> 00:28:45,640 Speaker 1: is Brendan Nuna. Our theme music is composed by Wonderly. 420 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:48,600 Speaker 1: Thanks to the Breakthrough Andage team for the recording space 421 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:51,840 Speaker 1: for this episode, and special thanks to Kira Bindram and 422 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:54,800 Speaker 1: Matthew Griffin. I am Akshadrati backed Soon