TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwanese wire and cable group Walsin Lihwa is working with Denmark’s NKT HV Cables AB on Taiwan’s first factory of undersea cables, which opened in Kaohsiung on Saturday.
The joint venture, named Walsin Energy Cable System, invested NT$13 billion (US$415.54 million) and will create 400 jobs, per CNA. The 20-hectare plant will upgrade southern Taiwan’s production technology and aid the development of the regional economy, according to Taiwan International Ports Corporation.
Offshore wind energy had given rise to a manufacturing center for windmill parts in Taichung, and to centers for basic undersea manufacturing at Taipei Port in New Taipei and at Anping Port in Tainan. The new factory signals Kaohsiung Port is joining the same supply chain.
Taiwan International Ports Corporation on Saturday also unveiled a new pier, A6-A, which extends the dock area by 8 hectares, adding 91 meters to its original length of 330 m. The extension has a price tag of NT$3 billion.
The company said it had budgeted NT$19 billion for a five-year investment plan for Kaohsiung Port. In cooperation with the city government and the Ministry of Transportation, the plans would give the local sector a new impetus, according to the company.
Taiwan has emphasized the importance of undersea cables to strengthen the country’s resilience in the face of Chinese threats. Damage caused by ships with links to Chinese interests are thought to be responsible for several breakdowns of underwater cables around Taiwan in recent years.
