Global composites manufacturer
Exel Composites will exhibit at the
CIGRE Paris session on August 23-28, 2026, at the Palais des Congrès. The company’s technical experts will demonstrate how advanced composite conductor cores can help utilities increase grid capacity and support projects responding to growing global electricity demand.
Held every two years, the CIGRE Paris Session is the world’s leading event for power system expertise, bringing together specialists from across the transmission and distribution sectors to share knowledge. This year’s event features a world-class technical programme of conferences, group discussions, tutorials, and workshops, providing an interactive platform for exchanging ideas, addressing challenges, and shaping the future of energy networks.
For Exel, the event provides an opportunity to engage directly with organisations throughout the power transmission supply chain — from conductor manufacturers and grid operators to hardware companies and other industry partners driving grid modernisation. At booth A72, visitors can examine composite conductor core samples and learn how the technology can help reduce infrastructure costs, increase transmission capacity, and improve grid reliability and safety. These cores offer approximately twice the tensile strength of steel cores with minimal thermal expansion, reducing sag and allowing for longer spans. In addition, transmission losses can be reduced by up to 50%, resulting in lower operating costs and reduced environmental impact.
Exel’s team will also contribute two papers to the Monday poster session: Sustainable End-of-life for Advanced Composite Core Conductors (11363) and Overhead Conductor with stranded Multiwire Composite Core in Aluminium Sheath – IEC TS 62818 Arrhenius testing of Resins (11362). The session takes place on Monday, August 24, from 2-6pm in Hall Ternes, level 1. Visitors interested in the topics can continue the conversation with Exel’s team at booth A72 during the event.
Dr Antti Hassinen, CIGRE member and director of product management at Exel Composites said: “Electricity demand is growing rapidly around the world, and the integration of renewable energy into existing transmission lines requires grid upgrades that boost capacity and maintain reliability. The challenges facing electricity grids can’t be solved by one country or organisation alone. CIGRE creates a collaborative opportunity to exchange ideas with industry experts, working together to address modern transmission requirements.”
Dr Hassinen is an active member of the CIGRE community, having attended CIGRE West Africa earlier in the year. His work has also contributed to key developments within the field, including the International Electrotechnical Commission’s TS 62818-1, which provides a basis for characterising and specifying the performance of composite conductor cores.