Dong Fang Offshore (DFO), one of Asia’s largest offshore wind service providers, has signed a major shipbuilding contract with Norwegian yard Westcon for a new subsea and cable lay vessel (CLV), set for delivery in 2027.
Westcon will take over and complete construction of a large cable lay vessel already under build.
DFO said the order supports its recent growth and replaces installation capacity lost in Taiwan after DeepOcean exercised an option to keep the Orient Adventurer working in Europe until 2028, with further options through 2031.
"The decision for this new CLV is driven by the successful extension of the Orient Adventurer's contract, and as such a new vessel is required to replace her for subsea cable projects DFO have already secured in 2028 in APAC. Considering the vessel's delivery schedule, secured contract backlog, competitive building price, and future business development, we are looking forward to welcome our second CLV to the fleet.
“This addition will add much needed capacity to support our customers offshore energy ambitions, and secures DFO's long term future as a leading APAC based contractor,” said CEO of DFO.
DFO’s expanded fleet will support its goal of becoming a globally recognized marine contractor.
The company’s fleet will include two large CLVs, two construction support vessels with cable repair capability, three service operations vessels, a DP1 survey vessel, two anchor-handling tugs, seven crew transfer vessels, a cargo barge, and a newly acquired DP2 multicat.
The company said the new capacity will support subsea cable installation demand across the offshore wind sector as Asia-Pacific markets accelerate build-out plans.