Asia-First Newbuild Taiwan-Flagged Service Operation Vessel Delivered

On March 8, 2022, a newbuild service operation vessel (SOV) (Note 1), the “TSS PIONEER,” which has been constructed through Ta San Shang Marine Co., Ltd., a joint company of MOL and Ta Tong Marine Co., Ltd., was delivered at the VARD Vung Tau shipyard in Vietnam owned by VARD Group A/S of Norway.

The vessel, Asia-first newbuild Taiwan-flagged SOV, will soon sail to Taiwan (Note 2) and once the vessel is ready for operation, it will be chartered to Ørsted, the world’s leading offshore wind power company.

This vessel will support the operations and maintenance (O&M) of the 900 MW Greater Changhua 1 & 2a Offshore Wind Farms, the first large-scale and far shore wind farms in Taiwan, which are being constructed by Ørsted. She will provide optimal offshore working conditions, and via its walk to work gangway ensure safe access onto the wind turbines for the O&M technicians.

Image Credits: mol.co.jp

Addressing environmental issues in line with “MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.1”, MOL strives to reduce its environmental impact by proactively carrying forward “Environment and Emission Free Businesses” including offshore wind power business.

Vessel Basic Specifications

• Flag Taiwan
• Length 85.4m
• Breadth 19.5m
• Planned draft 5.6m
• Max. capacity About 90 crewmembers and passengers
• Main features Dynamic Positioning System (DPS),
• Motion Compensated Gangway (Note 1)

(Note 1): [What is a service operation vessel (SOV)?]

An SOV has accommodations for O&M technicians allowing them to stay offshore for extended periods. The SOV is equipped with a dynamic positioning system (DPS) to continuously ensure safe distance between the vessel and the offshore wind turbine platforms, and via its Walk to Work gangway with a motion compensation function (absorbing hull movement due to wind and wave action, and so on), the SOV allows the technicians to walk safely between the vessel and the wind turbines.

(Note 2): [Taiwan’s renewable energy target]

Taiwan is continuing its energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, setting a renewable energy target of 5.6 GW of offshore wind and 20 GW of solar power by 2025. Offshore wind power is expected to be one of Taiwan’s main renewable energy sources for geographical reasons. More than 5.6 GW installed capacity of offshore wind has been granted from 2020 to 2025. Furthermore, an additional of 15 GW offshore wind capacity is planned from 2026 to 2035.

Reference: mol.co.jp

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Source: Maritime Shipping News