LS Cable & System and Taihan are investing in securing cable-laying vessels to install submarine cables. LS Cable is expanding the cargo capacity of existing ships through its subsidiary LS Marine Solution and is building new vessels. Taihan has acquired ships that were previously operated overseas. The goal is to handle everything from cable supply to transportation and installation in offshore wind power and long-distance transmission projects.
LS builds new vessels, Taihan acquires existing ships
According to industry sources on September 25, 2026, LS Marine Solution is building a cable-laying vessel with a cargo capacity of 13,000 tons at Turkey's Tersan Shipyard. Delivery is targeted for the first half of 2028. The vessel is planned for deployment in large-scale submarine power grid projects that connect offshore wind farms to land or transmit electricity between distant regions.
The existing cable-laying vessel GL2030 completed an expansion retrofit in July. Cable cargo capacity was increased from 4,000 tons to 7,000 tons. The company expects that with the ability to transport more cable in a single voyage, it can reduce the number of trips to port and cut construction time and costs. The strategy combines raising the operational capacity of existing vessels while adding larger ships.
Taihan chose to acquire vessels. In May, it signed a contract to acquire the submarine cable-laying vessel Scandi Connector from Norwegian marine construction company DOF Group, with delivery completed in July. The cable cargo capacity is 7,000 tons, larger than the 4,400 tons of its existing vessel Palos. Scandi Connector was deployed in 27 projects by its previous operator and laid approximately 1,300 kilometers of submarine cable.
Both companies are expanding their vessel fleets to handle both cable manufacturing and offshore construction. LS Cable operates a system where LS Cable produces cables and LS Marine Solution installs them. Taihan also incorporated Daehan Oceanworks, a submarine construction specialist, as a subsidiary last year.
Both are simultaneously investing in production facilities. LS Cable completed its fifth submarine cable factory at its Donghae site in Gangwon in July last year, expanding high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable production capacity more than fourfold. Taihan is building a second submarine cable factory in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province. It aims to begin operations next year with production equipment for 640 kilovolt HVDC and 400 kilovolt high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) submarine cables.
Carrying more and laying longer: reducing construction time and connection work
Investment in cable-laying vessels is tied to construction efficiency. The more cable a vessel can carry, the fewer times it needs to return to port for reloading. Installing cable continuously over long stretches reduces the amount of cable connection work required.
As larger projects emerge domestically, bidding competition is intensifying. LS Marine Solution announced on the 18th that it signed a contract worth 156.9 billion won with Hanwha Ocean for submarine cable construction on the Sinan Ui offshore wind project. This is approximately 2.2 times the company's separate revenue of 72.2 billion won last year. The work runs from the second half of this year through 2028 and covers cable transportation, laying, and burial.
Taihan is also building manufacturing and construction experience in domestic projects. A solar power generation grid connection project in Sinan County, South Jeolla Province, secured in April this year involves Taihan supplying submarine cables and Daehan Oceanworks handling construction.
Both companies are targeting follow-up projects in the West Sea HVDC energy superhighway and offshore wind power. To send electricity generated in the southwestern region to demand centers such as the Seoul metropolitan area, submarine cable manufacturing alone is not enough; facilities to handle transportation and installation are also needed. LS Marine Solution has identified the West Sea HVDC project as a key target for its new cable-laying vessel. Taihan also displayed models of Scandi Connector and Palos at this month's Climate Industry International Expo, emphasizing its construction capabilities for participation in the project.
KWI developer profile — Hanwha Ocean
4 projects in Korea totalling 1,730 MW. Compiled from the KWI database. Not part of the source article.
Sinan Ui Offshore Wind — this article
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ChilHae 1 Offshore Wind
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ChilHae 2 Offshore Wind
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Boryeong Nokdo Offshore Wind
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Related coverage
- Sinan-Ui offshore wind taps Vestas turbines despite domestic growth fund mandate — 2026-09-23
- KOMIPO launches Sinan-Ui 390MW offshore wind project toward 2040 CFE target — 2026-09-19
- LS Marine Solution secures Sinan Ui offshore wind subsea cable contract — 2026-09-18
- Hanwha Ocean Sinan-Ui offshore wind faces unresolved military coordination — 2026-09-17
Project data: KWI database — Electricity Business Licence records, EIA filings (ME2021C012, ME2026C003, ME2026C014), Electricity Regulatory Commission minutes, and pre-EBL permit filings.
Original Korean article: sisajournal-e.com
English brief by Korea Wind Intelligence, koreawindintel.com
