LS GreenLink USA, a member of the Oceantic Network, has broken ground on a $700 million subsea cable manufacturing facility in Chesapeake, Virginia, marking the first such U.S. plant for South Korea-based LS Cable & System.
The 98-acre facility is expected to be operational by 2028 and will produce high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cables used to transmit electricity from offshore wind farms to the onshore grid. The project is expected to support 330 permanent, full-time jobs, company representatives said.
The groundbreaking ceremony coincided with the opening day of the 2025 International Partnering Forum (IPF), the largest offshore renewable energy conference in the Americas, organized by the Oceantic Network. Officials including Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Chesapeake Mayor Richard West attended the event.
“This $700 million investment is a testament to the global industry’s commitment to the US market, creating hundreds of long-term American jobs and manufacturing American-made energy components for the pipeline of domestic and international offshore wind projects,” said Liz Burdock, president and chief executive of the Oceantic Network.
The facility is expected to play a role in supporting the U.S. offshore wind supply chain as the industry aims to contribute to a projected global offshore wind capacity of more than 380 gigawatts (GW) by 2030. Oceantic described the facility as a major supply chain asset for both domestic and international markets.
“Thanks to the leadership of Dominion Energy, support from Governor Youngkin and other elected officials, and cornerstone supply chain investments like this, Virginia is rapidly emerging as a premier offshore wind hub in the US,” Burdock added.
LS GreenLink’s project represents a growing trend of foreign investment in U.S.-based renewable energy infrastructure as the country looks to expand its offshore wind capacity and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
