Japanese construction firm buys trenching ROV for local offshore wind market

Japanese construction company Toyo Construction has purchased a trenching remotely operated vehicle (ROV) from underwater technology and services company SMD that will be deployed in the Japanese offshore wind sector.

The ROV will form part of Toyo’s expanding fleet of assets, as the company had also invested in a custom-built cable-lay vessel (CLV) at the end of 2023.

“Toyo is a forward-thinking company on a mission to become one of the biggest names in Japan’s offshore windfarm construction sector. Among the first companies to enter this emerging market, Toyo has seized an opportunity to propel the clean energy transition forward,” said Matthew Woodward, Sales and Business Development Manager at SMD.

“Our new partnership places Toyo firmly ahead of the curve; the trenching ROV supplied has been carefully tailored to excel in Japan’s challenging subsea environments, where seabed conditions can pose additional complications when laying cables.”

Toyo Construction and compatriot Mitsui O.S.K Lines (MOL) established a joint venture focusing on offshore wind power generation last summer, through which they want to create stronger synergies in a wide range of areas related to offshore wind, including survey planning, procurement of work vessels, and offshore construction.

The keel laying ceremony for the CLV that VARD is constructing for Toyo was held on September 24 at Vard Shipyards Romania – Braila. The vessel is scheduled for completion by Q2 2026.