LS Cable Completes Gunsan Plant, Accelerates Eco-Friendly Copper Materials Business

Building a Resource-Circulating Supply Chain
Through Subsidiary Korea Future Materials
First in Korea’s Cable Industry
Up to 80% Carbon Emissions Reduction
by Recycling Waste Cables

LS Cable is accelerating the expansion of its eco-friendly copper materials and resource circulation business. The company’s strategy is to respond to the surging demand for copper driven by the expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and power grids.

On May 12, LS Cable announced that its subsidiary, Korea Future Materials, has completed construction of its Gunsan plant and has begun mass production of advanced eco-friendly materials such as recycled copper and Q-Flake.

Aerial view of Korea Future Materials Gunsan Plant. LS Cable

With this investment, LS Cable will become the first company in the domestic cable industry to build a resource-circulating supply chain that covers everything from eco-friendly materials to cable production. The company also plans to expand its North American value chain in conjunction with major affiliates such as LS GreenLink, LS Eco Energy, and LS Eco Advanced Materials.

Korea Future Materials was established in 2023 to strengthen its expertise in materials business, leveraging LS Cable’s copper processing technology accumulated over more than 60 years. The Gunsan plant produces advanced eco-friendly materials such as recycled copper, the new Q-Flake material for copper foil, high-purity oxygen-free copper (OFC), and copper alloys.

Recycled copper is produced by recycling copper resources recovered from sources such as waste cables, and can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to mining. This enables the company to meet the increasingly stringent eco-friendly material and carbon emission standards in advanced markets such as Europe, and is expected to enhance its competitiveness in securing orders in the global cable and battery markets.

Q-Flake is a new copper foil material developed by LS Cable for the first time in the world. It simplifies the manufacturing process by using copper pieces instead of conventional copper wire. The material is recognized as an innovative solution that reduces manufacturing costs and energy consumption, while also improving raw material supply stability and eco-friendliness.

Korea Future Materials is also pursuing the construction of a plant near LS GreenLink in Virginia, United States. The company plans to strengthen its circular resource business structure and expand its presence in the North American market by linking with LS Cable’s supply chain.

Jeon Iksoo, CEO of Korea Future Materials, said, "We will expand our eco-friendly resource circulation business and enhance our ability to supply high-value-added materials essential for the electrification era."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.