Ta San Shang Marine Co. Ltd. (TSSM) signed a deal for the construction of a new service operation vessel (SOV) with the Damen Group of the Netherlands on June 27, according to MOL's release. This is the third newbuilding SOV to TSSM, following the TSS Pioneer, the first newly built SOV in Asia (delivered in 2022), and the TSS Cruiser, which was ordered last November and is scheduled for delivery at the end of 2025.
This third vessel, also a Taiwan-flagged SOV, is designed to be methanol-ready as a future fuel, just like its sister ship, the TSS Cruiser. It will also be built at the Damen shipyard in Vietnam and is slated for delivery at the end of 2026. This newly built SOV is to serve offshore wind farms in Taiwan, which are scheduled to be constructed and start operation in the late 2020s. The vessel will safely transfer personnel and supplies to the offshore wind farm, by leveraging the experience gained through the operation of the TSS Pioneer, and contribute to the development of Taiwan's offshore wind business by offering comfortable accommodations for wind farm technicians.
MOL develops various social infrastructure businesses, technologies, and services, centered on ocean transport, to meet the ever-changing needs of society, including environmental protection. The MOL Group set forth the "MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.2", to promote the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG )emissions from the group and from society at large through a concerted group-wide effort. One of the initiatives to contribute to the reduction of society's GHG emissions is the offshore wind power business. MOL offers a range of services in the offshore wind power business value chain where it can utilize its experience and expertise in maritime transport and offshore businesses (FSRUs, FPSOs, etc.).
Ta Tong Marine, headquartered in Taipei, is one of Taiwan's leading shipowners and a longtime business partner of MOL in Taiwan. As indicated by the TSS Pioneer business and the construction of the new SOV, the company has been focusing on the offshore wind power business field in Taiwan in recent years.
Damen (headquartered in the Netherlands) has more than 30 shipyards and affiliated companies around the world that design, build, and repair various types of niche and complex types of vessels. These include offshore vessels such as SOVs, CTVs, tugboats, navy vessels, dredgers, workboats and ferries. The SOV for TSSM will be built in Vietnam, where Damen has a large presence and a proven track record for building large and complex vessels including SOVs.
SOVs have accommodations for windfarm technicians, allowing them to stay offshore for extended periods. They are equipped with a dynamic positioning system (DPS) to continuously ensure a 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.