Cable and transformer scrap from the power sector
Upgrading a grid, stripping out a switchgear room or running an electrical-engineering plant? Copper and aluminium cables and conductors, transformers, busbars and switchgear are some of the highest-priced non-ferrous streams — their value comes from the metal under the insulation and inside the housing. We price by the real copper and aluminium yield, when needed collect with our own transport on larger loads, and sell straight to smelters and foundries.
What we take from power and electrical engineering
Power and electrical engineering yield one of the most valuable non-ferrous streams: under a cable’s insulation and inside a transformer’s housing sits copper and aluminium, and their share varies widely. A heavy power cable, a thin overhead conductor and a transformer winding give different yields — so we settle each fraction by its real metal content, not the gross weight with insulation and steel.
We serve power utilities, grid and substation contractors, electrical-engineering plants and independent scrap dealers. Whether you hand over drums of cable from a line upgrade or single transformers and busbars from a substation strip-out, you get priced for the actual material and, when needed, a collection that doesn’t hold up your work.
The most common non-ferrous streams from grid upgrades, substation strip-outs and electrical manufacturing. Not sure of the copper content? We’ll assess the yield for you.
Copper cables and conductors
Copper power and installation cable — a high, predictable yield; settled by metal content, and on larger lots after granulation.
Aluminium conductors and stranded wire
Aluminium power cable and overhead steel-reinforced aluminium wire (ACSR) — classified by core and aluminium share.
Transformers
Transformers with copper or aluminium windings — taken whole; we recover the metal ourselves, so you don’t have to strip them.
Busbars and collector bars
Copper and aluminium current bars from switchgear and substations — solid, clean metal with a very good yield.
Switchgear and fittings
Contactors, breakers, switchgear apparatus and components — once dismantled we settle copper, aluminium and brass separately.
Copper and brass connectors
Clamps, cable lugs, connectors and termination parts — clean copper and brass classified by composition.
How we collect material from the power sector
A substation strip-out or a line upgrade is often a one-off, large lot. We agree the terms and logistics up front, so collection runs to the rhythm of your work rather than holding it up.
Show us the material
Call or send photos of the cables, transformers and fittings on WhatsApp. The type and a rough quantity are all we need to quote a rate within one business day.
We agree pricing and collection
We price against current market quotations and the real copper or aluminium yield. For larger lots we agree terms up front and — from a few tonnes up — can send our own transport on a set date.
We weigh and settle
We weigh in front of you on authorised scales, confirm unusual alloys with a spectrometer, and you get the documents appropriate to the delivery and a settlement with no surprises. The material goes straight to smelters and foundries.
Related groups and knowledge
Power and electrical engineering is mostly copper and aluminium in cables and transformers — but every metal that comes off a strip-out is classified and settled separately.
Worth knowing
Power and electrical engineering — frequently asked questions
Do transformers have to be stripped before handing them over?
No. Transformers with copper or aluminium windings are accepted whole and the metal is recovered on Odylion’s side — you don’t have to dismantle them to get a price that accounts for what is inside.
Do you price cable by gross weight, or by metal yield?
By the real copper or aluminium yield, not by gross weight with insulation and steel. A heavy power cable, a thin overhead conductor and a transformer winding give different yields, so each fraction is settled by its actual metal content; on larger cable lots settlement follows granulation.
How do you classify steel-cored aluminium overhead conductor (AFL)?
By the core and the aluminium share. AFL conductor has a steel core, which is not a non-ferrous metal, so it is classified separately from power cable made of pure aluminium.
What should be done with switchgear apparatus after a strip-out?
Contactors, breakers, switchgear apparatus and components can be handed over whole — once dismantled, copper, aluminium and brass are settled separately. Clamps, cable lugs and connectors are clean copper and brass classified by composition.
What does collection look like for a substation strip-out or a line upgrade?
These are usually one-off, large lots, so the terms and logistics are agreed up front. Pricing rests on current market quotations and the real metal yield, and on larger lots our own transport can be sent on a set date — the terms are agreed individually.
What documents are needed for a delivery from a power utility?
Settlement documents are handed over after delivery. If the transfer is subject to the waste register, the KPO in BDO is created by the transferor before transport, and Odylion as the recipient confirms receipt and the actual mass. The document scope depends on supplier status and on the type and quantity of waste.