LS Eco Advanced Cables (LSEAC) has opened a five-week public consultation on its proposal to build a £923 million high-voltage transmission cable manufacturing facility at the Port of Tyne, aimed at supporting the UK’s growing offshore wind sector.
The proposed development, a joint venture between South Korea’s LS Group and the UK-based Global Interconnector Group, would produce subsea and underground electricity transmission cables critical for transporting renewable energy from offshore wind farms to the national grid.
Sangdon Lee, director at LSEAC, said: “At a time when the UK is moving ever-more-quickly to decarbonising its energy supply, now more than ever there is a huge need for the infrastructure underpinning that transition.”
According to LSEAC, the project would create approximately 500 direct jobs and another 1,000 in the broader supply chain, with a focus on skilled engineering roles. The company also plans to work with local educational institutions to deliver training programmes designed to meet future workforce demands.
The consultation, which runs from 14 May to 18 June, seeks feedback from residents, businesses, and community organisations ahead of a formal planning application to South Tyneside Council later this year.
Energy Minister Michael Shanks MP welcomed the project, stating: “This facility would help bring 500 manufacturing jobs back to Tyneside’s historic shipbuilding heartland and help to build up the supply chains we need to deliver on our Plan for Change to make Britain a clean energy superpower.”
The facility would add to the North East’s growing reputation as a hub for clean energy and advanced manufacturing. Port of Tyne CEO Matt Beeton described it as a “huge generational employment opportunity” and said it highlights the region’s ability to attract major international investment.
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness added, “This is a hugely exciting project for the region and shows we are building for the future. It will create a new industrial icon – a symbol of our ambition on a global scale to compare with the Swan Hunter cranes that once overlooked the Tyne.”
If approved, the plant would play a key role in supporting the UK’s transition away from fossil fuels by strengthening the domestic supply chain for renewable infrastructure.
