China’s Taiwan Province-based Dong Fang Offshore (DFO) recently announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lamprell Energy of the United Kingdom for the construction of an NG-9000X wind power installation and maintenance vessel to support the offshore energy industry in the Asia-Pacific region.
The vessel described in the MOU will be capable to carry and install up to two 15 MW class wind turbines at one time, with a large crane that is suitable to install and maintain the largest current and future turbines planned for installation in the region. The vessel will be equipped with the latest DP-2 positioning systems, long legs with spud cans suitable for the difficult Taiwanese offshore conditions, and have high quality accommodation for a full complement of wind turbine technicians. Further, the vessel will be built with high-quality equipment from leading international manufacturers, ensuring vessel reliability and assured access to service and spare parts.
The MOU sets out concrete next steps, including joint collaboration between DFO, Lamprell and prospective customers in the region, together with a joint procurement and engineering exercise in order to determine the optimal solution to ensure low-cost, reliable access to a suitable vessel. Together with Lamprell, DFO intend to finalize the package and execute the final newbuild construction contract by the end of this year.
Once ordered, the Wind Turbine Installation & Maintenance Vessel will add to DFO’s growing fleet of Service Operations Vessels, Construction Support Vessels, Crew Transfer Vessels and Cable Installation Vessels, capable of supporting the growth and maintenance of offshore wind farms in Taiwan.
Polin Chen, CEO of DFO says: This MOU demonstrates the capability and willingness of the international supply chain to step up to deliver high quality, internationally competitive solutions, ensuring that Taiwan has fit-for-purpose vessels to install and maintain the growing fleet of wind turbines. This next step in the DFO evolution ensures that offshore wind turbines installed in the Taiwanese straits can continue to be constructed and maintained by Taiwanese companies ensuring energy security for the country, and complements DFO’s growing fleet of fit-for-purpose wind farm service vessels, as well as DFO’s cable installation and repair solutions”.
Dong Fang Offshore was founded in 2019 as the first dedicated, pure-play owner an operator of wind farm construction and support vessels in APAC. DFO employs over 300 professionals in the offshore wind industry and has a fleet of 18 vessels owned or under construction.