Hanwha Solutions is making a stronger push into China’s rapidly developing offshore wind and high-voltage power transmission markets, betting that advanced cable materials will become increasingly important as renewable energy projects and power grids expand.
The company’s Wire & Cable Division showcased next-generation cable technologies at Wire China 2026 in Shanghai, held Sept. 21–24, highlighting materials designed for extra-high-voltage transmission, offshore wind and submarine power networks.
The move also brought new cooperation agreements with two major Chinese cable manufacturers, Zhongtian Technology Submarine Cable (ZTT) and Hengtong, giving Hanwha Solutions a pathway to jointly develop materials for some of the most technically demanding parts of the power infrastructure market.
Offshore Wind Becomes a Key Target
One of the most significant developments is Hanwha Solutions’ cooperation with ZTT on 132-kilovolt-class wet-type offshore wind cables.
The companies plan to develop tree-retardant cross-linked polyethylene (TR-XLPE) insulation materials, together with semiconductive materials and cable applications.
TR-XLPE is important for offshore wind because submarine power cables operate in demanding environments where moisture exposure and long-term electrical reliability are major concerns.
Under the planned development framework, Hanwha Solutions will provide the insulation and semiconductive materials as well as technical support, while ZTT will manufacture cable samples and conduct performance verification.
That cooperation could give Hanwha Solutions an opportunity to demonstrate its materials directly through a major Chinese cable manufacturer rather than relying solely on overseas sales of finished materials.
A Bigger Play Beyond Offshore Wind
Hanwha Solutions is also working with Hengtong on materials for extra-high-voltage, submarine and high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) cables.
The company displayed a cable model using 500-kilovolt-class super extra-high-voltage XLPE and semiconductive materials at Wire China 2026.
These technologies are designed for demanding electricity-transmission applications where insulation performance and long-term reliability are critical.
The broader strategy reflects a shift toward higher-value cable materials as power networks require greater transmission capacity and renewable-energy projects create new connections between generation sites and consumers.
Hanwha Solutions has previously identified offshore wind, submarine cables and HVDC as important growth areas for its Wire & Cable business. The company has also been expanding its portfolio of high-voltage insulation and semiconductive materials.
Hanwha Adds Recycling to the Cable Strategy
The company is not focusing only on higher voltage.
At Wire China 2026, Hanwha Solutions also presented its Closed Loop solution, which uses proprietary decrosslinking technology to recycle XLPE cable materials for potential reuse in new cable products.
The development fits into a broader sustainability strategy.
In August, Hanwha Solutions said it had completed customer validation of CHBA-8241RC, a cable-jacket compound containing 50% post-consumer recycled plastic. The company said the material can reduce carbon emissions by approximately 34% compared with conventional material while maintaining comparable electrical and processing performance.
That means the company is building its cable-materials portfolio around two parallel trends: the growing technical requirements of high-voltage power transmission and increasing demand for lower-carbon materials.
Why China Matters
China is a particularly important market for this strategy because of its large power infrastructure base and continuing development of renewable-energy projects.
Hanwha Solutions Wire & Cable Division head Carlo Scarlata said China is experiencing rapid growth in extra-high-voltage transmission and offshore wind, adding that the company wants to expand opportunities in China and eventually the wider global market through technical validation and joint development with local customers.
The company’s latest move comes as cable infrastructure becomes an increasingly important part of the renewable-energy buildout.
Offshore wind farms require specialized submarine cables to move electricity from offshore generation facilities to land. Meanwhile, HVDC technology can be used to transmit large amounts of electricity over long distances, making high-performance cable materials strategically important to future power networks.
South Korea itself is also seeing major investment in offshore wind cable infrastructure. For example, LS Marine Solution recently announced a 156.9 billion-won submarine cable installation contract for the 390-megawatt Sinan Wooi offshore wind project, the first project in a planned 8.2-gigawatt Sinan offshore wind belt.
The Bigger Picture
Hanwha Solutions is positioning its Wire & Cable Division beyond conventional cable-material supply and toward a more specialized role in next-generation power infrastructure.
Its latest agreements with ZTT and Hengtong combine materials development, testing and potential applications in offshore wind, submarine transmission and HVDC systems.
The company has also been building its sustainability portfolio, including recycled cable materials, while pursuing high-voltage and extra-high-voltage products for global markets.
For Hanwha Solutions, the opportunity is not simply about selling more cable materials. It is about becoming part of the technology chain supporting the next generation of electricity networks.
And as offshore wind expands and power grids become more interconnected, the materials hidden inside those cables could become just as strategically important as the cables themselves.
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