In a significant boost for the nascent Hampton Roads offshore wind industry, LS Greenlink USA, a subsidiary of South Korean-based LS Cable & System, has announced plans to build a $681 million manufacturing facility in Chesapeake. The facility, which will include a massive 660-foot-tall tower, is intended for the production of undersea cables.

The 750,000-square-foot plant will be situated on 100 acres of Chesapeake brownfield, creating over 330 full-time jobs. "Fifteen states were in the mix, and Virginia won," said Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Caren Merrick at a Tuesday event in Chesapeake.

When completed, the facility will be the tallest building in Virginia, surpassing the Westin Virginia Beach Town Center, currently the tallest at 508 feet, as stated by LS Greenlink USA Managing Director Patrick Shim.

This development marks a significant victory for proponents of the region's offshore wind industry, who have long anticipated that the Dominion Energy wind farm would attract other companies within the offshore wind supply chain to Hampton Roads.

To secure the project, Governor Glenn Youngkin approved a $13.2 million grant from the Commonwealth's Opportunity Fund to assist Chesapeake with the endeavor.

Source: The Virginian-Pilot