LS Cable breaks ground on world's tallest VCV tower at Virginia submarine cable factory

LS Cable & System announced Thursday that its US production subsidiary, LS Green Link, has broken ground on a Vertical Continuous Vulcanization (VCV) tower at the submarine cable factory under construction in Chesapeake, Virginia.

The LS Green Link facility is designed to be the largest submarine cable production base in the United States, with completion targeted for the second half of 2027 and commercial production set to begin in the first quarter of 2028.

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Koo Bon-kyu, president of LS Cable & System, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and US Sen. Tim Kaine, among others.

A VCV tower is a core piece of production equipment used to form the insulation layer of a cable. Manufacturing cables vertically minimizes the effects of gravity, improving both quality and productivity. At 201 meters tall, the structure will be the world's largest VCV facility and the tallest structure in Virginia upon completion.

The United States is currently pursuing large-scale investment in power transmission infrastructure, driven by the need to replace aging grids and the rapid expansion of AI data centers, yet only one large-scale submarine cable production facility currently operates in the country. LS Green Link is expected to become the largest domestic production hub in the US once the factory is complete.

Policies favoring locally made products are also expanding, giving LS Cable & System's North America strategy added momentum. LS Green Link and LS Marine Solution are targeting the extra-high-voltage transmission market, while Gaon Cable focuses on power infrastructure for AI data centers — together building out a North American power value chain.

"LS Green Link is a strategic hub capable of supplying not only the North American market but also Europe," Koo said. "We will continue to expand our market presence on the strength of our local production capabilities and technological competitiveness."

Virginia Gov. Spanberger said she expects LS Green Link to make a significant contribution to quality job creation and the development of energy infrastructure in the state.