LS Cable & System Opens Asia’s Largest HVDC Production Facility
LS Cable & System announced on July 16 that it has completed the 5th submarine cable plant at its factory in Donghae City, Gangwon Province. This expansion has increased the production capacity of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) submarine cables by more than four times compared to the existing capacity.According to the company, this expansion has secured LS Cable & System the largest HVDC cable production facility in Asia, significantly enhancing its competitiveness in securing global large-scale projects. The 5th submarine plant includes an additional vertical continuous vulcanization (VCV) line, greatly strengthening the production competitiveness and supply stability of submarine cables. VCV is an essential facility for producing high-voltage cables spanning hundreds of kilometers, determining insulation quality and electrical stability. While the HVDC cable market is rapidly growing due to the expansion of offshore wind power and increasing demand for long-distance power transmission, only a few companies worldwide, including LS Cable & System and some European and Japanese firms, can supply these cables due to the high technical difficulty and large-scale infrastructure requirements.
In particular, long-distance HVDC installation requires dedicated cable-laying vessels of 10,000 tons or more, allowing only companies with both production and construction capabilities to respond to global demand. Recently, LS Cable & System has enhanced its turnkey competitiveness in HVDC cables, offering solutions from production to construction. This is due to the recent decision by its affiliate, LS Marine Solutions, to invest in the construction of a new HVDC-dedicated cable-laying vessel, which is expected to expand submarine cable installation capabilities.A company official stated, “The global HVDC cable market is expected to grow to approximately 40 trillion won by 2030,” adding, “Along with this facility expansion, we will actively pursue joint participation with LS Marine Solutions in the ‘West Coast HVDC Energy Highway’ project being promoted by the government.”
