LS Cable Secures East Coast–East Seoul HVDC Phase 2
Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) has awarded the cable supply contracts for the 500kV East Coast–East Seoul HVDC EP Phase 2 Underground Transmission Project, with competitive bidding closing on 9 June 2026. The KRW 300 billion (~$214 million) project has been distributed across three domestic manufacturers: Section 1, a 500kV power line spanning 85.5 kilometres, was awarded to LS Cable & System; Section 2, also 500kV and 85.5 kilometres, went to Taihan Cable; and Section 3, a 70kV-class neutral line of 85.3 kilometres, was assigned to Iljin Electric. Total cable length across all three sections is approximately 256 kilometres.
LS Cable & System formally announced its award on 15 June 2026, confirming that its Phase 2 East Coast–East Seoul section represents a contract value of approximately KRW 146 billion (~$104 million). This follows the approximately KRW 88 billion (~$63 million) Phase 1 contract for the East Coast–Singanpyeong section secured in 2024. Combined, LS Cable's cable supply commitments across both phases of the Donghae-Capital Area Initiative stand at approximately KRW 234 billion (~$167 million).
The East Coast–Capital Area project is one of South Korea's largest grid infrastructure programmes, designed to transmit large-scale power generated by nuclear, thermal, and renewable energy facilities on the east coast to the Seoul metropolitan region. KEPCO applied a distributed bidding approach in Phase 2 to ensure supply chain stability and mitigate execution risk over the project's duration—consistent with its approach in Phase 1, where LS Cable supplied the positive and negative 500kV power line cables and Iljin Electric handled the neutral line section.
Construction on Phase 1—the East Coast–Singanpyeong section—commenced in November 2025 and represents the world's first commercial deployment of a 500kV 90°C high-temperature HVDC cable, developed independently by LS Cable. The elevated conductor temperature rating, up from the industry-standard 70°C, increases transmission capacity by up to 50 percent. LS Cable is the only South Korean company with execution experience in both submarine and underground HVDC projects, having previously delivered the Jeju-Jindo, Jeju-Wando, and North Dangjin-Godeok links.
Phase 2 represents the domestic HVDC main-project debut for Taihan Cable, which has made substantial investment in its submarine cable manufacturing facility in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, and developed 500kV-class cable products in pursuit of an entry into the sector. Kim Hyeong-won, Head of LS Cable & System's Energy and Construction Business Division, noted that commercialisation experience verified in live power grid environments is critical to HVDC project delivery, alongside technical capability, and that the company intends to pursue further participation in forthcoming programmes including the West Coast Energy Highway. KEPCO has stated it plans to finalise contract signings within June 2026 and proceed with technical approval procedures—including design review and product specification examination—ahead of full-scale cable production by all three suppliers.
