South Korean manufacturer Taihan Cable & Solution has completed the installation of export cables for the Yeonggwang Nakwol offshore wind project.
The 364.8MW wind farm in South Korea will generate enough electricity to power approximately 250,000 households upon completion.
Taihan’s cable-laying vessel Palos (pictured) was deployed to install the export cables. The installation, covering two 28km lines, was carried out in two phases. The first phase took place over two weeks in mid-May, and the second phase began in late June and was completed last week.
The installation of inter-array cables, also produced by Taihan, is scheduled to commence after July.
Palos, which was introduced in November 2023, is a specialised cable-laying vessel acquired to secure Taihan’s turnkey competitiveness, spanning production, transportation, installation, and maintenance of submarine cables.
As Korea’s only cable-laying vessel, Palos was purpose-built from the design stage for submarine cable installation. With a top speed of 9 knots under its own power, Taihan said Palos offers installation speeds five to six times faster than cable-laying barges that rely on tugboats, maintaining stability even in adverse weather and tidal conditions.
Additionally, unlike conventional vessels, Palos features a flat-bottom design that allows independent access to very shallow coastal areas. The company said this enables the vessel to be deployed in all weathers across diverse marine environments.
A Taihan official said: “Palos has proven both its stability and installation capabilities by successfully completing cable-laying in the demanding West Sea region.
“Leveraging our turnkey competitiveness from production to installation, we anticipate creating diverse opportunities in upcoming large-scale offshore wind projects and the West Coast HVDC Energy Highway.”