Taihan’s Palos CLV Installs Export Cables for South Korean Offshore Wind Farm

Taihan’s cable laying vessel (CLV), PALOS, has successfully completed the installation of export cables for the 364.8 MW Yeonggwang Nakwol offshore wind farm in South Korea.

The project, being developed Nakwol Blue Heart, is located near Songido, is a large-scale initiative to develop a 364.8MW wind power complex.

With a total project cost of $1.6 billion, the facility will generate enough electricity to power approximately 250,000 households year-round upon completion. The overall project progress has now surpassed 50%.

This project marks the first deployment of PALOS since its acquisition by Taihan. The export cable 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 CLV, introduced in November 2023, is a specialized CLV, said to be the only such vessel in Korea. It was purpose-built from the design stage for subsea cable installation. With a top speed of 9 knots under its own power, Palos offers installation speeds five to six times faster than cable laying barges (CLBs) that rely on tugboats, and maintains stability even in adverse weather and tidal conditions.

The vessel is a hybrid model capable of operating in both DP2 mode, which automatically and precisely controls the vessel’s position, as well as the anchoring mode, which fixes the vessel using anchors as needed.

“Palos CLV 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,” Taihan said.

Meanwhile, in June, Taihan completed the comprehensive construction of its first Dangjin subsea cable plant, capable of producing both export and inter-array cables for offshore wind power.

In the second half of 2025, the company plans to start construction of its second plant, which will produce 640kV-class HVDC subsea cables and cables for the extra-long continuous export cable, thereby strengthening production capacity to participate in the West Coast HVDC Energy Highway project.