ACCC® Symposium

In early October, the town of Tokaj became the centre of the international electricity sector for a few days. The International ACCC® Symposium was held at the Minaro Hotel, where over eighty professionals from eight countries discussed the future of sustainable power transmission. The event was organized by the Miskolc-based company FUX Zrt., which has become one of the leading manufacturers of cables and conductors in Central Europe.

‘This international event was not only a professional but also a community milestone, since it brought together all professionals, from developers to contractors, who worked on the introduction of carbon fibre composite core conductors’, said Dr. István Barkóczi, the chairman of the board of directors at FUX Zrt. He also added that they were able to share their experiences with each other to see what has been achieved so far and to discuss how this technology should be further developed.

International cooperation

FUX Zrt. has been present in the conductor manufacturing market for over thirty years. The last decade was a real breakthrough for the company due to its cooperation with the development team of the American CTC Global Corporation, which resulted in the creation of the ACCC® (Aluminium Conductor Composite Core) type conductor manufactured by FUX. This new technology replaces the previously used steel core of the conductor with a carbon fibre composite core, which is lighter, more durable and allows for operation with an overall lower network loss. ‘Even the transmission capacity of existing networks can be improved with the use of ACCC through a simple replacement of conductors. This way old networks can be modernized without requiring major investment’, Dr. István Barkóczi explained.

The Miskolc-based company is one of the official manufacturers of ACCC® conductors and it is the only company in Central and Eastern Europe with the certificate required for the patent. As a major recognition of this new technology, FUX Zrt. received the Energy Innovation Award as part of the Hungarian Innovation Grand Prize in 2024.

Already proven

The carbon fibre conductors of FUX Zrt. were first introduced in the network of MAVIR, between the cities Göd and Levice. It has gained considerable ground since then and by today these conductors are used to transfer electricity at an approximate length of 3000 kilometres domestically.

‘This development is not only a technical advancement but also a breakthrough from an environmental perspective: the sag of the conductor is lower, it is more resilient against storms and icing and the environmental impact of the installation is significantly lessened', the chairman emphasized.

He also mentioned that this type of conductor has also proven to be successful in Portugal, where the country’s network was modernized on a 21-kilometre long section with it.

A solution for aging networks

He also highlighted that, in order to ensure the safety of Europe’s electricity supply, modernization has become indispensable. The drastic power outages in Spain and Portugal last spring also raised awareness on this matter. Approximately half of all conductors used in Europe are 30-40 years old and therefore close to their usual planned life cycle of 50 years.

‘The aging of networks not only mean a loss of energy but also a systemic risk. State of the art technologies such as ACCC ensure a more stable supply as well as a smaller carbon footprint’, he added.

Success and responsibility

FUX Zrt. has received several awards in the past years and contributed to the stability of Europe’s energy network with the replacement of several thousand kilometres of conductors.

‘Our mission is to bring balance to development and sustainability while providing the best solutions to our partners. To accomplish this, we are constantly pushing boundaries, since we believe that innovation can bring efficient solutions for existing problems’, Dr. István Barkóczi summarized.