LS Marine Solution begins construction of South Korea's largest submarine cable-laying vessel

LS Marine Solution announced Wednesday that it has begun construction of a next-generation submarine cable-laying vessel at the Tersane shipyard in Turkey.

The vessel, whose investment plan was announced in May last year, will be the largest cable-laying ship in South Korea and among the top five in the world by size. It is designed with high-spec equipment capable of simultaneously laying high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cables, submarine power cables and fiber-optic cables. Delivery is targeted for the first half of 2028.

The new vessel will have a cable-carrying capacity of 13,000 tons, allowing it to complete long-distance sections in a single voyage — reducing the number of departures and cable joints and improving overall construction efficiency.

The ship is intended to support large-scale submarine power grid projects, including the government's planned West Sea HVDC energy highway. Once construction is complete, LS Marine Solution will have two dedicated cable-laying vessels for the West Sea HVDC project, alongside its existing vessel GL2030. The addition is expected to significantly strengthen the company's capacity to handle major national grid projects as well as large-scale overseas contracts.

"With Haesong 3 offshore wind recently selected in the fixed-price contract bidding for offshore wind power, LS Marine Solution — as the preferred negotiating partner for submarine cable installation — is also expected to participate in the project," a company official said. "We plan to continue expanding our involvement in domestic and international offshore wind projects on the back of the new vessel."