Gaon Cable's North Carolina nuclear cable line waits on certification and customers
Gaon Cable plans a nuclear power cable line at its North Carolina unit LSCUS for US reactor and small modular reactor projects. The only budget reported, $50 million by April next year, is for data-center cable.
The Investor · Invest desk
LSCUS plans US nuclear certifications and Korean partnerships. Gaon Cable has not set timing; it can expand fast once it has nuclear customers. Korea Herald says Tabor City; Seoul Economic Daily says Tarboro. Tarboro: $50 million by April next year to double medium-voltage capacity.
- Who has to decide decision LSCUS Plans to obtain US nuclear certifications and seek partnerships with Korean nuclear energy companies, claim 3
- What it limits constraint Gaon Cable Has not decided nuclear equipment timing; says it can expand quickly once it secures nuclear customers, claim 7
- What doesn't add up contradiction Korea Herald Reports the line at LSCUS in Tabor City, North Carolina, claim 11
- What doesn't add up contradiction Seoul Economic Daily Reports the equipment at the Tarboro, North Carolina plant, claim 12
- What it costs cost Tarboro plant $50 million planned by April next year to double existing medium-voltage cable capacity, claim 8
| Who | How | Kind | Claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSCUS | Plans to obtain US nuclear certifications and seek partnerships with Korean nuclear energy companies | decision | 3 |
| Gaon Cable | Has not decided nuclear equipment timing; says it can expand quickly once it secures nuclear customers | constraint | 7 |
| Korea Herald | Reports the line at LSCUS in Tabor City, North Carolina | contradiction | 11 |
| Seoul Economic Daily | Reports the equipment at the Tarboro, North Carolina plant | contradiction | 12 |
| Tarboro plant | $50 million planned by April next year to double existing medium-voltage cable capacity | cost | 8 |
What happened
- LSCUS plans to obtain the US certifications required to supply the nuclear industry and to seek partnerships with Korean nuclear energy companies to get into the supply chain.
- The company has not decided when the equipment goes in, and says it can expand quickly once it has nuclear customers because a medium-voltage line for AI data centers already runs at the plant.
- Gaon Cable expects demand from new reactors, small modular reactors and cable replacement at aging plants, with more as Korean nuclear companies join US projects.
Why it matters
- Who has to decide decision Gaon Cable's dated capital goes to the data-center line and nuclear equipment follows customers, so nuclear is an option on its US plant and not yet a budgeted program.
- What it limits constraint Nuclear cable revenue cannot start until LSCUS completes certifications it still plans to obtain, and each specification sells in small volumes.
- What doesn't add up contradiction Korea Herald puts the line at LSCUS in Tabor City; Seoul Economic Daily puts it at a Tarboro plant where a medium-voltage line already runs, while Korea Herald describes the existing US-made range as overhead transmission lines. Whether these are one site or two is unclear.
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Seoul Economic Daily states the supply-side case in a sentence: few new nuclear plants have been built for a long period, so supply chains for equipment such as nuclear power cables remain insufficient [4]. One reactor uses more than 50,000 cable circuits for power, control and measurement, and the cables are low-volume, high-variety items whose specifications change with where and how they are used [1][2]. LSCUS also has to win the US certifications that supplying the industry requires before it sells any of them [3].
The $50 million is due by April next year and doubles the medium-voltage capacity of a line that already runs [8]. The company did not disclose a budget for the nuclear equipment. We think that makes the nuclear line an option, or rather a conditional one, to be exercised once customers and certification arrive, and the evidence does not yet support calling it a committed bet. A nuclear-specific capital figure would change that view.
The company names three sources of demand: new reactors, small modular reactors and cable replacement at aging plants [5]. Replacement is the only one of the three that needs no new construction, though it still needs the certification [3]. A further source, Korean nuclear companies expanding their US work, is also the route LSCUS says it will use to enter the supply chain [5][3]. That ties the opportunity to a variable Gaon Cable does not control. "We expect new opportunities for local equipment suppliers as the US nuclear market expands and Korean companies increase their participation in American projects," a company official said [9].
The counter-thesis sits in the company's own account of why demand exists: soaring power use at AI data centers and heightened energy security concerns are driving renewed nuclear investment, according to Gaon Cable [6]. If that investment proceeds, certified US-made cable would have buyers beyond Korean-led projects.
What to watch
- Whether LSCUS announces a US nuclear certification or a named Korean nuclear partner, the two steps the company says gate its entry.
- Whether an installation date for the nuclear equipment appears before the April deadline on the medium-voltage doubling.
- Whether Gaon Cable clarifies if the nuclear line goes to Tabor City or Tarboro.
Information, not investment advice. This story is general information about companies and markets, drawn from cited reporting. It is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security; check the cited sources before acting.
Clarity's read
What the record supports and how the coverage leans. The claims behind it follow.
Reality
- Evidence35
- Adoption8
- Hype gap+15
- Incentives60
- Confidence62
Claim ledger
Ranked by verification strength, evidence, and original report placement.
- [1]
A single nuclear reactor uses more than 50,000 cable circuits for power, control and measurement.
- [2]
Cables for nuclear power plants are low-volume, high-variety products that require different specifications and performance levels depending on where and how they are used.
- [3]
LSCUS plans to obtain the certifications required to supply the US nuclear industry and to seek partnerships with Korean nuclear energy companies to enter the US supply chain.
- [4]
Because few new nuclear plants have been built for a long period, supply chains for equipment such as nuclear power cables remain insufficient in the United States.
- [5]
Gaon Cable expects demand from new reactors and small modular reactors and from cable replacement at aging nuclear plants, and sees further opportunities as Korean nuclear companies expand their participation in US projects.
- [6]
Soaring power demand from AI data centers and heightened energy security concerns are driving renewed investment in nuclear energy, according to the company.
- [7]
The timing of the nuclear cable equipment has not been decided; Gaon Cable said it can expand quickly once it secures nuclear power customers because a production line for medium-voltage cables used in AI data centers is already running at the plant.
- [8]
Gaon Cable plans to invest $50 million in the Tarboro plant by April next year to double its existing medium-voltage cable capacity.
- [9]
"We expect new opportunities for local equipment suppliers as the US nuclear market expands and Korean companies increase their participation in American projects," a company official said.
- [10]
Korea Herald described the move as expanding Gaon Cable's US-made portfolio beyond overhead transmission lines.
- [11]
Korea Herald reported that Gaon Cable will establish the nuclear power cable line at LSCUS in Tabor City, North Carolina, for conventional nuclear reactors and small modular reactors.
- [12]
Seoul Economic Daily reported that Gaon Cable plans to install nuclear power plant cable production equipment at its plant in Tarboro, North Carolina, through its U.S. manufacturing unit LSCUS.
Sources
2 independent publishers whose own reporting we read for this story.
- en.sedaily.comGaon Cable to Make Nuclear Plant Cables in U.S.
1 article · October 11, 2026
- koreaherald.comGaon Cable targets US nuclear, SMR markets with North Carolina production line
1 article · October 11, 2026
Topics and entities
Topics
- Nuclear Supply Chain and Heavy Forging Capacity
- AI Data Center Power Supply
- Small Modular Reactors
Entities
- LS Cable & System