€1B cable factory at Port of Tyne turning into reality as consultation starts

LS Eco Advanced Cables (LSEAC), a joint venture between Global InterConnection Group (GIG) and one of the subsidiaries of LS Group, a Korean cable manufacturer, has launched a five-week public consultation on plans for a £923 million subsea and onshore cable facility at the Port of Tyne in the UK.

The project is expected to create 500 direct and 1,000 supply chain jobs, with the complex located at Tyne Dock to comprise a series of buildings, including a manufacturing space, testing facilities and offices, situated around a 202-meter cable sheathing tower.

Although the plans are at an early stage and still being finalized, total investment is anticipated to be approximately £923 million (around €1 billion).

“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,” said Sangdon Lee, Director at LSEAC.

“We’re delighted as a joint venture to be proposing this facility for a sub-sea cable development – but we must make it sure it works for the local community. That’s why we deeply value the input of everyone in the area to this consultation and encourage people to share their views and shape the future of this project.”

LSEAC’s consultation will take place from May 14 to June 18, inviting local communities, businesses and organisations to give feedback on the proposed development before the final planning application is made to South Tyneside Council later this year.

Two consultation events will be held as well, in South and North Shields on May 27 and 28.

Along with the North East Combined Authority and the Port of Tyne, the joint venture company announced its plans to work with the region’s schools, colleges and universities to provide training and re-training in the skills needed at the facility.

“This long-term investment will create more than 500 high-quality jobs directly, but we know it will also mean thousands more jobs are created as the supply chain grows around our already thriving offshore sector,” said North East Mayor Kim McGuinness.

“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. This is a hugely exciting project for the region and shows we are building for the future— that we are the home of green energy, and that we are open for business with the world.”

Of note, the first information about the factory was introduced in September 2024 when LSEAC and Port of Tyne inked a head of terms for an option on a lease.