Vertical lay-up machine ordered for Taiwan’s first subsea power cable factory

Norway’s PASSER Group has secured a contract to deliver a vertical lay-up machine (VLM) for the first-ever subsea power cable factory in Taiwan.

PASSER Products announced it had been awarded the contract for the delivery of the VLM to the new factory in Kaohsiung.

The factory, which will specialize in the production of high- and medium-voltage AC subsea power cables, is expected to be built and put into operation in 2027.

According to PASSER, the contract is in line with its Asia strategy.

“Walsin Energy Cable System Co. & PASSER Products have established a good communication, and together agreed the best quality VLM solution to the new factory. PASSER with its Cabel Handling Solutions confirms with this opportunity, our good position in the growing energy transition market,” PASSER said.

The VLMs are designed for the manufacturing of large three-core power cables. The machine holds three interchangeable baskets which each have a payload rating of 250, 500, or 750 tons. The company notes that they can be moved on board by a hydraulic basket mover. The VLM is integrated into a building structure and the deck of the main carousel is flush with the production floor.

To remind, in February of this year, NKT and Walsin Lihwa announced that they were forming the joint venture Walsin Energy Cable System Co. that would facilitate the construction of the subsea cable factory.

The following month, the companies signed the necessary agreements for the establishment of the joint venture and associated service and technology licensing agreements.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Kaohsiung Submarine Cable Factory was held in September.