LS Cable Ships First Submarine Power Cable for Jindo-Jeju

South Korea’s largest electric cable maker, LS Cable announced on June 1 the firm’s Donghae plant in Gangwon Province, South Korea shipped first submarine power cable for a direct current (DC) power grid project between Jindo Island and Jeju Island for about 105 kilometers. The cable installation starts this month. LS Cable realized first domestic production of 250kV class DC submarine cable, starting commercial production at Donghae plant in September 2009.

Donghae plant produces mass impregnated (MI) submarine power cable. LS Cable invested approximately 130 billion won for the plant in order to expand high voltage power cable business in medium and long terms.

The firm received the project’s order from Korea Electric Power Corporation at around 330 billion won in February 2009. Two lines will be installed between Jindo and Jeju, and the construction is scheduled to finish in 2011. One line is consisted of 2 power cables and 1 telecommunication cable.

Submarine power cable market has been dominated by several major electric cable makers in Europe and Japan so far. MI cable is generally said to be adopted for super long submarine power grid, the market of which is almost dominated by Nexans of France, Prysmian Cables & Systems of Italy and ABB of Switzerland.