Gaon Cable to make nuclear power plant cables in US

Gaon Cable plans to manufacture nuclear power plant cables in the United States at its plant in North Carolina, with the goal of seizing a market set to expand as nuclear power grows in the country, the company announced on Monday. The South Korean cable producer stated that its U.S. subsidiary, LS Cable & System U.S.A., will install the necessary equipment at their Tarboro, North Carolina facility.

This move aims to establish a local supply network prior to the anticipated growth of the U.S. market for large nuclear plants and small modular reactors (SMRs), which are compact reactors designed for factory production and modular installation. The plant currently manufactures power lines for the U.S. grid, and the addition of nuclear cables will expand the variety of locally produced products.

The company noted that the U.S. supply chain for nuclear plant equipment, including cables, remains limited due to the scarcity of new reactor constructions in the nation for several decades. Interest in new reactors is resurfacing as electricity demand surges with the proliferation of artificial intelligence data centers and as energy security gains importance.