KECI continues to increase investment in the wind power industry, providing carbon fiber extruded plates for beam caps.
Recently, Kineco Exel Composites India (KECI), a joint venture between Exel Composites Plc (Finland) and Kineco Ltd (India), has signed a multi-year agreement to supply pultruded carbon fiber sheets to major wind turbine manufacturers in Southeast Asia for the production of wing masts.
The company stated that carbon fiber board is an important component of wind turbine blades, with world-class strength, stiffness, and lightweight characteristics. With the increasing demand for blade length, this field is currently in a rapid growth stage.
For a long time, the wind energy market has been considered the world's largest market for glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite materials (by production). With the development of large turbines and long wind blades, the demand for high-performance and lightweight materials is also increasing, and the market for carbon fiber composite materials is also growing. At present, the outer skin of wind and tide turbine blades is generally composed of GFRP filled laminated materials and foam sandwich. Inside the blade, the ribbed shear web is bonded to the strut cap to reinforce the structure. The strut cap is usually made of GFRP or, as the blade length increases, made of pultruded carbon fiber to increase strength.
The company stated that the agreement is based on important research and development work conducted by KECI and the client, and both parties have agreed not to disclose the contract value. However, it was revealed that KECI will deliver carbon fiber boards from its new factory near Goa, India, which is currently in the final construction phase. Delivery is expected to begin in the second half of 2024 and initial supply will begin. Meanwhile, the company also stated that by utilizing KECI's new factory in India, customers will be able to obtain cutting-edge carbon fiber boards produced in India.
