In this episode of Zero, Akshat Rathee interviews Claes Westerlind, CEO of NKT, a cable manufacturing company, about the complexities of producing high-voltage electricity cables and the industry's challenges in meeting the growing demand for clean energy transition. Westerlind explains the intricate process of cable manufacturing, the differences between AC and DC cables, and the increasing importance of DC technology for long-distance power transmission. They discuss the bottlenecks in the cable industry, the significant investments needed to expand capacity, and the strategic concerns regarding competition from China. The episode also features Will Mathis, who provides insights into the cable industry's history of collusion and the current market dynamics, highlighting the difficulty in scaling up production and the importance of strategic autonomy in energy infrastructure.
