With first cable laying vessel in tow, Asian firm hopes to safeguard domestic offshore wind market from competitors

South Korea-headquartered Taihan Cable & Solution is placing hopes on its recently launched cable laying vessel (CLV) to lend the Asian country a helping hand in thwarting competitors from gaining a foothold in its domestic offshore wind industry.

After disclosing the acquisition of what is said to be Korea’s only cable-laying vessel for the offshore wind market in December 2023, Taihan held the commissioning ceremony last week for the 6,200-ton CLV Palos at the pier where its second Dangjin submarine cable plant stands. The event was attended by around 200 participants, such as the Governor of Chungcheongnam-do, and the Mayor of Dangjin.

In addition, the representatives from the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, Korea Electric Power Corporation, Korea Wind Energy Industry Association, and various power companies, clients, and partner companies graced the ceremony with their presence. The ship was bought for approximately $38.4 million

Song Jong-min, Vice Chairman of Taihan, commented: “Launching ceremony marks South Korea’s rise to one of the few countries globally equipped with a CLV, with only about 30 such vessels existing worldwide. Palos will not only strengthen Taihan’s construction competitiveness but also serve as a crucial strategic asset protecting Korea’s offshore wind market from foreign competition.”

With a carrying capacity of up to 4,400 tons of submarine cable in a single voyage, this ship is said to be the first CLV in Korea, constructed to lay submarine cables. Taihan underlines that the Palos cable layer exhibits “far superior” performance than cable laying barges (CLBs) converted from cargo barges.

Equipped with dynamic positioning 2 (DP2), the CLV features a flat bottom, allowing it to operate at various sites regardless of water depth. The ship, capable of reaching speeds of up to 9 knots, is described as having “an exceptionally stable and precise approach” to laying submarine cables, significantly outperforming CLBs that depend on tugboats and cannot effectively respond to weather variations and currents. 

“We will construct additional submarine cable factories and secure larger cable-laying vessels in the future, aiming to emerge as a powerhouse in the global offshore wind industry,” highlighted Jong-min.

A few weeks ago, Taihan joined forces with Hanwha Solutions to work on the development of crucial materials used in high-voltage direct current (HVDC) and submarine cables, as well as extra-high-voltage (EHV) cables.