LS Cable develops umbilical cable for the first time in Korea

Wednesday, Jul 28, 2010

■Developed composite cable for offshore engineering, succeeds in commercialization
■Prepares foundation for entering global market estimated to be KRW 2.5 trillion

LS Cable (Chairman & CEO Christopher Koo) announced on the 15th that the company has succeeded in the development and commercialization of an umbilical cable, a composite cable for offshore engineering, for the first time in Korea. The umbilical cable will be used for power supply and signal transmission/reception for controlling ROVs (remotely operated vehicle) which are used for submarine cable installations. (Refer to terminology.)

This is a composite cable consisting of a 3300V power cable, 240V control cable and multi-core optical communication cable. At present, umbilical cables are being used to control ROVs of a Japanese marine engineering company that is laying a submarine cable section that will connect the mainland city of Jindo with Jeju Island as part of the submarine power grid project in that region.

Because umbilical cables are operated in extreme environments featuring high hydrostatic pressure, turbulent waves, and corrosive elements, their design and engineering must be of the highest order. The cables must be able to function flawlessly while under heavy loads generated by vertical installation. Only companies possessing sophisticated design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities have so far been able to produce such cables. Therefore, with the successful development of this product, LS Cable’s Donghae Plant (completed in 2009) has quickly become a prime source for producing submarine and umbilical cables attracting a lot of attention in the industry. LS Cable expects that the successful development of this cable will lead to further widening of the range of its offshore cable solutions.

For 2010, the global umbilical cable market is estimated to be KRW 2.5 trillion. Currently, the market is monopolistically shared by European and American companies. With this new development, LS Cable secured a bridgehead for overseas market entry. LS Cable will now aggressively market the new product together with its line of communication cables for oil prospecting ships. Those cables have recently been acknowledged by leading classification societies of the U.S. and Germany.

※ Terminology: Umbilical Cable --this is a general term for composite cables used in offshore engineering. There are basically three types of umbilical cable in use today: cables for geological surveys, cables for oil drilling and cables for controlling ROVs. Connected to submarine equipment, these cables are used for supplying power and sending/receiving data and control signals.

ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle --This is a general term for submersible industrial robots used in submarine cable installation, coastal oil drilling and mining. Human beings experience limitations in going under water because of the atmospheric pressure. However, ROV is free from such limitations because it moves by remote controlling from the mother ship.

Source: LS Cable