LOC Renewables, through its specialist naval architectural design and engineering team, Longitude Engineering, has been contracted to undertake a month-long feasibility study on behalf of premier Taiwanese subsea cable installer, Woen Jinn Harbor Engineering. The agreement will see the Longitude team assess a cable lay barge for Woen Jinn and advise on the specifications and conversion work required to fit the barge for offshore wind operations.
This feasibility study will see Longitude Engineering identify the cable lay barge specifications required for Taiwanese offshore wind farms, and advise on the upgrades required to meet these requirements.
“We’re proud to be working alongside Woen Jinn on what is a long-term collaboration to enhance their cable-laying capabilities and build out the local supply chain,” said Nicolas Cazeres, Managing Director at Longitude’s Singapore office. “We are delighted to have been recognized for our expertise and look forward to adding value and learning from Woen Jinn’s operational experience.”
With significant natural wind resources and excellent conditions for offshore construction, Taiwan is aiming to develop 3 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030. In order to achieve this target, local firms are increasingly looking to work with experienced offshore wind energy firms and benefit from the transfer of skills and knowledge from more established European markets.
Indeed, late last year LOC Renewables signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with four regional partners, outlining its intention to further offshore wind farm development and construction in Taiwan. This feasibility study will now see Longitude identify the cable lay barge specifications required for Taiwanese offshore wind farms, and advise on the upgrades required to meet these.
“As the leading cable installation company in Taiwan, we played a key role in the completion of the country’s first offshore wind turbine in 2016,” said Cheng Yu (Bruce) Lee, Director at Woen Jinn Harbor Engineering.
In addition to better quantifying the scope of conversion work required to prepare Woen Jinn’s flagship cable installation barge, the WJ#5, for the offshore wind market, Longitude will provide ongoing support during the barge’s operation life. Longitude is also working with Woen Jinn to determine its role as owners’ engineer, during the necessary design engineering to convert the cable lay barge to a fit-for-purpose vessel.
Lee added: “As we plan for the future of offshore wind power in Taiwan, our co-operation with Longitude Engineering in barge design and related verification activities will allow us to continue to deliver a first-class local cable installation service in Taiwan.”
As Taiwan’s offshore wind sector continues to develop, Longitude and LOC Renewables will bring their end-to-end experience across the project lifecycle to bear on all stages of the evaluation and review of offshore wind farms.
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