South Korea will build its first land-based test site for electric ships, which will help accelerate its development of new and noiseless vessels including submarines, developers said Wednesday.

The new facility will help improve the country’s overall shipbuilding capabilities, according to the state-run Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute.

“The construction of the test site is part of efforts to support the development of key technologies for electricity-powered vessels amid the growing need for a land-based test facility for the development of new and indigenous electric power system for submarines,” it said.

The facility, located some 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul in Changwon, will be the third of its kind in the world after those in the United States and Britain.

The construction began Wednesday with a groundbreaking ceremony.

Following the completion of its construction in 2020, the new test site is expected to help create nearly 4,000 new jobs while also generating an economic impact of over 1.4 trillion won ($1.33 billion). (Yonhap News)