Taihan Cable & Solution (Taihan) announced the recent completion of the first step of its submarine cable plant 1 in the Godae district of the Asan National Industrial Complex in Dangjin-si, Chungcheongnam-do in South Korea.

A press release said that many notable executives from both Taihan and the Hoban Group—which bought the business previously known as Taihan Electric Wire in March—took part in the event. It featured a tour of the submarine cable production line, a ceremony to mark the commencement of operations at the plant, and several commemorative speeches.

The submarine cable plant 1 of Taihan, occupying around 44,800 sq m behind Godae Pier at Pyeongtaek’s Dangjin Port, is being built in two phases. The first step, which focuses on producing inter array cables, was finalized and approved this 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 Yeonggwang Nakwol offshore wind power project. Last December Taihan secured a significant contract to supply inter array cables for the Yeonggwang-gun project.

Taihan Vice Chairman Song Jong-min said that the company “will expedite the construction of the second step of the submarine cable plant 1 and submarine cable plant 2.”

The second step of the submarine cable plant 1, for making export cables, is under construction with plans for completion by the first half of 2025. The second submarine cable plant will feature vertical continuous vulcanization (VCV) facilities for producing export cables and HVDC cables and is currently undergoing the final stages of review for site selection.

In other news, Taihan announced that it has won three significant power grid projects in the U.S. worth approximately $93.5 million.

A press release said that the orders represent “a substantial milestone” for the company, which specializes in manufacturing and supplying cables and solutions for power grids and other infrastructure projects. One of the projects calls for ultra-high voltage cable while the other two are for medium-to-low voltage cable.

The ultra-high voltage project, valued at around $32.4 million, is located in the eastern U.S., and involves constructing a 345 kV power grid for a new semiconductor plant in New York State. The other two projects are in the Los Angeles area of western California. One of those is a long-term project to supply medium-to-low voltage cables over three years. With this latest achievement, TC&S has secured over $237 million orders. The U.S. government’s initiatives and investments in upgrading and expanding the power grid further underscore the strategic importance of (our) projects.

South Korea’s LS Cable & System (LS C&S) will supply submarine cables worth approximately $207 million for the world’s first artificial energy island.

A press release said that the landmark project, Princess Elisabeth Island, is being constructed by Belgian power company ELIA in the North Sea, about 45 km off the coast of Belgium. “It is set to revolutionize the way renewable energy is managed and distributed.”

The submarine cables will play a crucial role in the island’s function, which is to store, distribute, and manage electricity generated from a 3.5 GW offshore wind farm. Once completed in 2030, Princess Elisabeth Island will serve as a hub for regulating energy supply between the mainland, the U.K. and Denmark. The island will be equipped with power conversion stations, energy storage systems, and grid connection facilities, ensuring a stable and efficient transmission of electricity between the artificial island and the mainland.

“We will be the first cable manufacturer to gain experience in constructing submarine cables for an artificial energy island,” the release said. “This will enhance our competitiveness in securing large-scale artificial island projects that Denmark and other countries are planning.”

Artificial energy islands are innovative solutions designed to manage and optimize the distribution of renewable energy generated from offshore sources. The global shift towards renewable energy is a critical context for this event, as countries around the world invest in renewable energy infrastructure to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Projects like Princess Elisabeth Island are part of this broader effort.

The geopolitical aspect of energy distribution is also significant. The artificial island will connect energy grids between Belgium, the U.K., and Denmark, highlighting the collaborative efforts in Europe to create a more integrated and resilient energy network. This project not only marks a significant milestone for LS Cable & System, a South Korean company specializing in cable manufacturing, but also showcases their capabilities in producing and installing submarine cables for complex, large-scale projects.

As the project progresses, LS Cable & System’s involvement in Princess Elisabeth Island will likely pave the way for future opportunities in the renewable energy sector, enhancing their position in the global market and contributing to the ongoing transition towards sustainable energy solutions.

Prysmian is expanding its facilities at its production site for submarine cables in Kirkkonummi, Finland.

A press release said that YIT, a Finnish construction and development company, will expand four hall buildings and build a new material warehouse in the area, covering an area of 26,000 sq m. The project, estimated to cost approximately €35 million, is scheduled for completion in June 2026.

YIT was previously used for the implementation phase partner for the cable tower project last summer. The tower, which reached its ridge height of 185 meters at the end of last year, is set to be completed in the summer of 2025. “We are pleased to continue our cooperation with YIT in the expansion of Prysmian’s submarine cable center of excellence and factory production capacity in Pikkala,” said Ferdinando Quartuccio, country CEO of Prysmian Group Finland. “The contract now signed is a natural continuation of the ongoing cable tower construction project, which has progressed according to plan and on schedule.”

Italy’s SAMP Group reports that it has finalized its acquisition of Cortinovis do Brasil, an addition that will strengthen its global footprint in Latin American growth markets.

A press release said that the deal strengthens its global presence in the strategic growth markets of Latin America and Brazil in particular. “SAMP thereby also broadens its product portfolio to strengthen its position as the only cable equipment supplier to offer an integrated suite of machines for every step of the cable manufacturing process.”

The company notes that the acquisition comes on top of strong 35% per annum year-on-year organic revenue growth since 2021. This represents another key step in the on-going transformation of the company. The product lines of Cortinovis do Brasil—a well-known and trusted player in the Brazilian and Latin American market for five decades—augments SAMP’s portfolio of integrated machines to produce cables end-to-end.

SAMP Group CEO Jouni Heinonen said that the company is pleased “to welcome Cortinovis do Brasil back into the SAMP family. ... The firm’s stabile reputation in the region will help us to expand our presence in the important growth markets of Latin America.”

The representative office of Cortinovis do Brasil in São Bernardo Do Campo will continue activity in the same location with consistent leadership that regional clients have relied on for many years.

Vietnam should triple the number of international fiber optic cables it has from five to 15 by the year 2030.

A report at the website of Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) spells out ambitious plans for the future of the country’s optical fiber access. “The projected number of cables clearly defines the importance of Vietnam’s international fiber optic cable system as part of the digital infrastructure and something which must be prioritized in terms of investment, ensuring the country’s connection internationally,” the report said. It added that there must be enough capacity so some Vietnamese cities can become regional data centers.

The goal is to develop the international fiber optic cable system to build the international connectivity bridge for digital economic promotion, digital society, defense and security. State-owned enterprises have led the international foundation to date. By 2035, the goal is for the infrastructure to be equal to that of the leading groups in the region in terms of quantity, capacity and quality, becoming a super large cloud computing service provider, making Vietnam an important link in regional and international digital infrastructure and data transmission. It should have at least two more international land fiber optic cable lines by 2030. That capacity on land would represent at least 15% of the actual capacity of the marine system.

By 2027, Vietnam will open four new undersea fiber optic cable lines for public use, bringing the total capacity to at least 134 Tbps. At least one of those routes would be owned by the country of Vietnam. The country will maintain at least Singapore, Hong Kong (China) and Japan as the main digital hub connections, while periodically reviewing and evaluating digital hubs to add appropriate connection points.

For the period 2028-30, at least six new undersea fiber optic cable routes, including one route owned by Vietnam, will be put into use, increasing the total design capacity of marine fiber optic cables in Vietnam to a minimum of 350 Tbps. In addition to two land cable lines connecting to Hong Kong (China) and Singapore with a total capacity of 5 Tbps, Vietnam now has five international undersea fiber optic cable lines with total available capacity of 34 Tbps.