MOL Signs Deal to Build a Construction SOV ("CSOV”) to Serve Offshore Wind Farms in Taiwan

November 22, 2023

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Takeshi Hashimoto; Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo) and Ta Tong Marine Co., Ltd. (Chairman: Hrong Nain Lin; Headquarters: Taipei City, Taiwan) today announced that on November 21, through their joint venture Ta San Shang Marine Co. Ltd. (TSSM), signed a deal with Damen Shipyards. of the Netherlands for the construction of a new service operation vessel (SOV) (Note 1).

As TSSM's second Taiwan-flagged SOV, following Asia's first, the TSS Pioneer (Note 2), which was delivered in 2022, the vessel is scheduled for delivery at the end of 2025 in Vietnam. The new CSOV, which is methanol ready as a future fuel, will support offshore wind farms in Taiwan, and, backed by the experience in SOV operation cultivated with the TSS Pioneer, it will provide comfortable accommodations at sea for personnel from windfarm developers, wind turbine manufacturers, construction companies, and so on. The safe transfer of personnels and supplies from the vessel to the offshore wind farm will contribute to the development of Taiwan's offshore wind power industry.

Masayuki Sugiyama, MOL Executive Officer responsible for Wind Power Project Unit, said, "In addition to the TSS Pioneer, this new CSOV operation will solidify TSSM's position as an SOV player in Taiwan. Also, we would like to use this project as a stepping stone for MOL's SOV business development in the Asian region, including Japan."

TSSM Chairman Hrong Nain Lin added, "With our experience in operating Asia's first dedicated offshore wind SOV, we're now prepared to offer more for the Green Energy Industry. This Damen CSOV will be a valuable new force to support Taiwan offshore wind developments and other future projects in Asia Pacific region. We, as always, will continue to provide safe working environment and a comfortable home at sea for technicians and marine crew."

Damen Shipyards CEO Arnout Damen said "We are very honored to welcome TSSM into the Damen family. We are also very happy that after reviewing the options, TSSM has opted for the proven Damen CSOV9020 design. We are confident that this new vessel will make a significant contribution to the development of the Taiwanese offshore wind sector and beyond. We look forward to a very fruitful and long relationship with TSSM"

MOL will contribute to the realization of a net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emission society by leveraging its accumulated business experience and marine engineering expertise to promote offshore wind power generation businesses.

[Outline of SOV]

Flag	Taiwan
Length	87.7m
Breadth	19.7m
Planned draft	5.3m
Max. capacity	120 crewmembers and passengers
Main features	Dynamic positioning system (DPS), Motion compensated gangway and crane

About MOL
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 is offering 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.).
For more information: https://www.mol.co.jp/en/services/windpower/

About Ta Tong Marine
Ta Tong Marine (Chairman: Hrong Nain Lin), 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.

About Damen
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.

(Note 1) [What is a service operation vessel（SOV)?]
SOVs have accommodations for windfarm technicians, allowing them to stay offshore for extended periods. They 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.

(Note 2) For details, please refer to the following press release:
March 10, 2022: Asia-first newbuild Taiwan-flagged Service Operation Vessel delivered to operate for Greater Changhua 1 & 2a Offshore Wind Farms -being part of the Operation & Maintenance setup for Taiwan's Largest Offshore Wind Farm-