Shipbuilder Marco Polo Marine's Taiwan-based subsidiary, PKR Offshore, has signed a deal with wind turbine maker Vestas Taiwan Co., Ltd, for the maiden deployment of its new Commissioning Service Operations Vessel (CSOV).
The new CSOV, which will be able to accommodate up to 110 persons, will be deployed for work on offshore wind farms in Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, over a 3-year period, based on a minimum utilization commitment per year.
The vessel is currently under construction at Marco Polo Shipyard in Batam, Indonesia, and will start operations by the end of the first quarter of 2024.
In September 2021, Marco Polo Marine unveiled its plans to build, own and operate a Commissioning Service Operations Vessel (CSOV) to meet the rising demand for support vessels from the offshore wind farm industry in Asia.
The 83-meter-long ship will be the first CSOV to be designed in Asia. It will have a walk-to-work gangway and a 3D motion-compensated crane.
According to the owner, it will feature a hybrid-based energy storage systems that will reduce carbon emissions by up to 20%.
Marco Polo Marine has cited a report by Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), according to which new offshore wind installations in Asia are likely to exceed 10 GW in 2026 and nearly 15 GW by 2030. By 2050, Asia is projected to achieve a grand total of 613 GW offshore.
" Against this backdrop of tremendous growth, the industry will continue to grapple with a shortage of suitable specialised wind vessels. Coupled with the global pivot towards cleaner energy, Marco Polo Marine foresees tremendous room for growth for its marine vessels over the long-run," the company said.