Approval galore for South Korean wind turbine installation vessel

South Korean ship designer and shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has received Approvals in Principle (AiPs) from three classification societies for its wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) design.

SHI’s low carbon emission ECO-WTIV (LNG Fuel + SOFC) model named SLW-FUEL CELL received AiPs from American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), DNV, and Lloyd’s Register at the same time.

According to SHI, ECO-WTIV is compliant with new emissions targets thanks to the adoption of technologies including LNG-fueled engines, solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), and energy storage system (ESS).

The setup is projected to reduce the vessel’s CO2 emissions by approximately 50 per cent compared to existing ships powered by diesel engines.

SHI said the new vessel was designed in response to the growing offshore wind industry.

In December 2020, the shipbuilder partnered with Hyosung Heavy Industries, a Korean wind turbine gear unit equipment producer, to develop an enhanced and cost-effective jacking system for the WTIV.

”As the offshore wind industry grows, which is one of the pillars of the Green New Deal Policy, there will be more demand for WTIVs. It is very meaningful now that we secured our independent model featuring diverse cutting-edge green technologies,” said Wang K. Lee, Vice President of Offshore Business Division of SHI.

SHI has so far built and delivered three WTIV units to the offshore wind market, with the first order received back in 2010.