South Koreans aim for global supply with opening of new offshore wind cable plant

South Korean Taihan Cable & Solution has opened the first phase of its submarine cable plant that will supply the offshore wind industry.

The submarine cable plant, covering around 44,800 m2 behind Godae Pier at Pyeongtaek’s Dangjin Port, is being constructed in two phases. The first phase, which focuses on producing inter-array cables, was finalized and approved in May.

After a series of tests and prototype productions, the plant is scheduled to begin full-scale operations starting with the production of inter array cables for the South Korean Yeonggwang Nakwol offshore wind project.

The second phase, which includes facilities for the production of export cables, is currently under construction with plans for completion by the first half of 2025. It will feature vertical continuous vulcanization (VCV) facilities for the production of export cables and HVDC cables, and is currently undergoing the final stages of review for site selection.

“With the completion of the Step 1 facilities of our submarine cable plant 1, we now have the capacity to satisfy the rapidly increasing annual demand for submarine cables. With the new acquisition of the CLV(Cable Laying Vessel), we are now further equipped with installation capabilities, positioning us to emerge as a game changer in the global submarine cable industry,” said Taihan’s Vice Chairman Song Jong-min.

“We will expedite the construction of the second step of the submarine cable plant 1 and submarine cable plant 2 to build a diverse product portfolio, and, based on this, we will explore and pursue global opportunities.”

Taihan announced in December 2023 that it had acquired what is said to be Korea’s only cable-laying vessel (CLV) for the offshore wind market. The CLV, bought for approximately $38.4 million, is equipped with self-propulsion and a DP2 system and can load up to 4,400 tons of underwater cables at once.

This April, the South Korean company revealed plans to set up a specialized test facility for HVDC cables as a response to the growing global demand.