A series of devastating storms over the past five years have played havoc with exposed networks of high-voltage power lines throughout the Caribbean. Even 'moderate' storms of a far lesser severity then the infamous Gustav and Katrina cause extensive damage to the vulnerable transmission towers and cables. Storms that hit the region's island nations are invariably accompanied by widespread power blackouts that often require weeks of work to overcome, followed by months of more extensive repair work afterwards.
Some local utilities have started to take advantage of the refurbishment forced upon them, by installing fiber optic communications infrastructure alongside their power transmission network. Typically, this is achieved through the use of OPGW (OPtical fiber composite overhead Ground Wire), a purpose designed cable that incorporates the optical transmission fiber within the steel cable traditionally used for grounding the towers of the electric power lines.
The new fiber optic communications infrastructure provides power companies with a proprietary means of voice and data communications, capable of dealing with immense loads at high speeds. Moreover, fiber optic networks offer immense load capabilities, and companies can lease or trade some of their excess capacity to others.
Spanish engineering firm Abengoa, a leader in power transmission, has been operating in Latin America for some thirty years. Like many other Spanish and Portuguese firms over the past three years, the company has increasingly been looking to Latin and South America as natural drivers of growth.
Recent efforts have shown that Abengoa has seized the opportunity presented by the installation of OPGW in order to expand into new markets in the Caribbean. The company has already won a tender for installation of a 500-1000 Km OPGW network, and is said to be actively pursuing several more such opportunities in the region.
