Cho Hyun-joon positions Hyosung Heavy Industries for US power boom

Hyosung Heavy Industries is expanding its U.S. power infrastructure business as AI data center demand and grid replacement boost the market. Chairman Cho Hyun-joon’s localization strategy is driving investment in Memphis and a joint venture with Quanta. The company says it is building U.S. production capacity for both transformers and circuit breakers. It aims to strengthen its role as a major supplier to the U.S. power grid.

Hyosung Heavy Industries says it accounts for nearly half of the U.S. market for 765kV ultra-high-voltage transformers.

The company has invested a total of $300 million in acquiring and expanding its Memphis, Tennessee plant through three rounds of expansion.

Hyosung plans to increase production capacity at the Memphis plant by more than 50 percent from current levels by 2028.

A joint venture with Quanta is scheduled to begin local production in October, making Hyosung the first Korean power equipment maker with U.S. production capabilities for both transformers and circuit breakers.

Published Sep 10, 2026 11:31 am KST

A view of Hyosung Heavy Industries’ ultra-high-voltage transformer plant in Memphis, Tenn. / Courtesy of Hyosung Heavy Industries

Hyosung Heavy Industries is strengthening its foothold in the U.S. power infrastructure market as soaring electricity demand from artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and efforts to replace aging power grids drive a rapid expansion of the country's power infrastructure.

The company said Tuesday that its localization strategy, spearheaded by Hyosung Group Chairman Cho Hyun-joon, is beginning to bear fruit as demand rises for ultra-high-voltage power equipment in the United States.

Cho anticipated the growing importance of power infrastructure amid the rapid development of AI and has called on Hyosung Heavy Industries to become a "game changer" in the power infrastructure market driving the transformation of global industries.

The United States is expanding its 765-kilovolt (kV) ultra-high-voltage transmission network to accommodate rising electricity demand, including from AI data centers. Such networks enable the long-distance transmission of large amounts of electricity with lower losses.

Hyosung Heavy Industries currently accounts for nearly half of the U.S. market for 765kV ultra-high-voltage transformers. It also offers ultra-high-voltage circuit breakers ranging from 72.5kV to 800kV.

Building on its ultra-high-voltage transformer plant in Memphis, Tennessee, the company has established a local production base for ultra-high-voltage circuit breakers with capacity of up to 800kV. The move allows the company to manufacture and supply key equipment for 765kV transmission networks locally, strengthening its position as a major supplier to the U.S. power grid.

Cho identified a U.S. manufacturing base as a key source of future competitiveness in the power equipment market and decided in 2020 to acquire an ultra-high-voltage transformer plant in Memphis.

Despite concerns surrounding the acquisition at the time, he determined that securing a local production base was essential given the growth potential of the U.S. power market and the plant's ample land, which offered room for future expansion.

Hyosung Heavy Industries has invested a total of $300 million in acquiring the plant and carrying out three rounds of expansion. It plans to increase production capacity by more than 50 percent from current levels by 2028.

Once the expansion is completed, the Memphis plant is expected to have the largest ultra-high-voltage transformer production capacity in the United States.

The plant is currently the only facility in the U.S. capable of producing 765kV-class ultra-high-voltage transformers. Such transformers require highly sophisticated design and manufacturing capabilities, and Hyosung Heavy Industries has maintained its top position in the U.S. 765kV ultra-high-voltage transformer market since the early 2010s.

Hyosung Heavy Industries is now expanding its U.S. production capabilities beyond transformers through a joint venture with Quanta, a North American energy infrastructure solutions provider, to manufacture ultra-high-voltage circuit breakers.

The joint venture is scheduled to begin local production in October. Once operational, it will make Hyosung Heavy Industries the first Korean power equipment maker with U.S. production capabilities for both transformers and circuit breakers, according to the company.

The partnership was driven by Cho, who determined that cooperation with Quanta would be crucial to responding to the expansion of the U.S. power market. He met with Quanta's CEO and other key executives in the United States in March to finalize the joint venture agreement.

Quanta has an extensive business base and customer network spanning power and energy infrastructure projects across the United States, including utilities, power generation, energy storage systems and data centers.

Hyosung Heavy Industries plans to combine its power equipment technology with Quanta's infrastructure solutions capabilities to expand its U.S. business beyond the supply of individual pieces of equipment and into broader power infrastructure solutions.

"The future of the power industry lies not only in equipment but also in the ability to comprehensively manage power flow, storage and stability," Cho said. "Building on our position in the North American market, we will firmly establish ourselves as the world's No. 1 total solution provider."

随着人工智能数据中心需求和电网升级改造推动市场增长，晓星重工正在拓展其在美国的电力基础设施业务。董事长赵显俊的本土化战略正推动公司在孟菲斯进行投资，并与广达集团成立合资企业。该公司表示，正在美国建设变压器和断路器的生产能力，旨在巩固其作为美国电网主要供应商的地位。

晓星重工表示，其在美国765kV超高压变压器市场占据了近一半的份额。

该公司已通过三轮扩建，总共投资 3 亿美元用于收购和扩建其位于田纳西州孟菲斯的工厂。

晓星计划到 2028 年将其位于孟菲斯工厂的产能比目前水平提高 50% 以上。

与 Quanta 的合资企业计划于 10 月开始在当地生产，这将使晓星成为第一家拥有在美国生产变压器和断路器能力的韩国电力设备制造商。

发布于2026年9月10日上午11:31（韩国标准时间）

位于田纳西州孟菲斯的晓星重工超高压变压器厂一景 / 图片由晓星重工提供

随着人工智能 (AI) 数据中心电力需求的激增以及老旧电网的更换，美国电力基础设施正在迅速扩张，晓星重工正在巩固其在美国电力基础设施市场的地位。

该公司周二表示，由晓星集团董事长赵显俊牵头的本土化战略开始取得成效，因为美国对超高压电力设备的需求不断增长。

Cho预见到人工智能快速发展将使电力基础设施的重要性日益凸显，并呼吁晓星重工成为电力基础设施市场的“游戏规则改变者”，推动全球产业转型。

美国正在扩建其765千伏（kV）超高压输电网络，以满足日益增长的电力需求，其中包括人工智能数据中心的需求。此类网络能够以较低的损耗远距离输送大量电力。

晓星重工目前占据美国765kV特高压变压器市场近一半的份额。该公司还提供72.5kV至800kV的特高压断路器。

该公司依托位于田纳西州孟菲斯的超高压变压器工厂，建立了容量高达800千伏的超高压断路器本地生产基地。此举使该公司能够在本地生产和供应765千伏输电网络的关键设备，从而巩固了其作为美国电网主要供应商的地位。

Cho 认为美国制造基地是未来电力设备市场竞争力的关键来源，并于 2020 年决定收购位于孟菲斯的一家超高压变压器厂。

尽管当时人们对此次收购有所担忧，但他认为，鉴于美国电力市场的增长潜力以及该工厂拥有充足的土地，为未来的扩张提供了空间，因此确保本地生产基地至关重要。

晓星重工已累计投资3亿美元用于收购该工厂并进行三轮扩建。该公司计划到2028年将产能比目前水平提高50%以上。

扩建完成后，孟菲斯工厂预计将拥有美国最大的超高压变压器生产能力。

该工厂目前是美国唯一一家能够生产765kV级超高压变压器的工厂。此类变压器需要高度精密的设计和制造能力，自2010年代初以来，晓星重工一直保持着其在美国765kV超高压变压器市场的领先地位。

晓星重工目前正通过与北美能源基础设施解决方案提供商 Quanta 成立合资企业，将其在美国的生产能力从变压器扩展到超高压断路器。

该合资企业计划于10月开始在当地生产。据该公司称，一旦投产，晓星重工将成为首家拥有在美国生产变压器和断路器能力的韩国电力设备制造商。

此次合作由赵先生主导，他认为与广达集团的合作对于应对美国电力市场的扩张至关重要。今年3月，他与广达集团首席执行官及其他主要高管在美国会面，最终敲定了合资协议。

Quanta 拥有广泛的业务基础和客户网络，业务遍及美国各地的电力和能源基础设施项目，包括公用事业、发电、储能系统和数据中心。

晓星重工计划将其电力设备技术与广达的基础设施解决方案能力相结合，以将其在美国的业务从供应单个设备扩展到更广泛的电力基础设施解决方案。

Cho表示：“电力行业的未来不仅在于设备，更在于全面管理电力流动、存储和稳定性的能力。我们将以北美市场的地位为基础，巩固自身作为全球第一整体解决方案提供商的地位。”