Ship & Boat International: eNews May/June 2020
Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has been contracted to build a service operation vessel (SOV) for Ta San Shang Marine, a Taiwan-headquartered joint venture established by MOL, Japan and Ta Tong Marine, Taiwan. The vessel will be used by energy major Ørsted at the four Greater Changhua offshore wind farms in Taiwan. These sites have a reported planned capacity of 2.4GW, and are situated 35-60km off the coast of Changhua County, on Taiwan’s west coast.
Vard’s Vung Tau yard in Vietnam will construct the vessel, and delivery is anticipated in the first half of 2022. The newbuild will be an example of Vard’s 4 19 class, a DP2-enabled series. Erik Haakonsholm, general manager of Vard’s Offshore and Specialised Vessels department, believes that this vessel type could become a permanent fixture in Asia’s fast-developing offshore wind sector, stating: “Offshore renewables is… going from being a Europe-focused industry to a worldwide market.” This newbuild will apparently be the first SOV to be built to Taiwanese flag and class.
The SOV will measure 84.4m x 19.5m and accommodate up to 87 persons in single cabins. Features will include: a height-adjustable, motion-compensated gangway with an elevator system; a boat transfer system; and a 3D-compensated cargo crane. The ship will run on diesel-electric power, supported by Vard’s in-house SeaQ Energy Storage System, for reduced fuel consumption and emissions. Other SeaQ modules to be integrated into the SOV’s operations include the Power Management System and Integrated Automation System.
Taiwan is currently working to offshore wind energy capacity targets of 5.5GW by 2025, followed by 10GW by 2035.
