Offshore Wind: Japanese Firms KCS, MOL In Cable Laying Collab

Friday, October 1, 2021

Japanese subsea cable laying firm Kokusai Cable Ship (KCS) and the shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) have signed an agreement to collaborate on the operation of cable-laying ships to meet the increasing demand for the installation of power cables, especially in the offshore wind sector.

KCS, established in 1966, was the first company to launch a subsea cable laying ship - the KDD Maru - in 1967. The company has, over the years, been involved in the construction of some 70,000km of submarine cables, mainly in the Asia-Pacific region, and today oversees the maintenance of over 87,000km of cable.

In 2019, KCS launched the KDDI Cable Infinity, Japan’s first self-propelled power and telecommunication cable-laying ship. 

MOL and its group company MOL Marine & Engineering Co., Ltd. (MOLMEC) have managed and operated a total of four KCS-owned cable-laying ships including the KDD Maru for over 50 years. 

The MOL Group said in a statement on Friday it was the only Japanese ocean shipping company involved in the management and operation of cable-laying ships. 

"Cable laying ships adopt “Dynamic Positioning Systems“ to lay submarine cables with safety and precision, and MOL and MOLMEC have accumulated technology and expertise to automatically maintain the ship position under various environmental and weather conditions," MOL said, adding that their collective know-how and skilled personnel are expected to be used in a wide range of various offshore businesses, "including the rapidly growing wind power generation field."

As part of the cooperation, KCS is responsible for cable handling and laying operations, while MOL and MOLMEC are in charge of ship management and operation including supplying seafarers who have the skills to operate the “Dynamic Positioning Systems“ important for cable-laying ships. 

The two companies plan to jointly research commercial opportunities in new submarine cable-laying demand, mainly for offshore wind farm facilities, which are gaining wider application in Japan and throughout Asia.

Japan plans to have 10GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030 and 30-45GW by 2040.  

Categories: Offshore Energy Vessels Cable ships Industry News Activity Asia Subsea Cables Offshore Wind

Related Stories

Woodside to Shed Some Trinidad and Tobago Assets for $206M

EnerMech Names APAC Regional Chief

CIP Reaches Financial Close for Offshore Wind Farm in Taiwan

MODEC and Samsung Team Up to Install Carbon Capture Tech on FPSO

ADNOC Secures LNG Supply Deal with India's BPCL

Santos Hires Weststar-GAP for Timor-Leste Offshore Helicopter Services

ADES’ Fourth Suspended Jack-Up Rig Gets Work Offshore Thailand

Shell Shuts Down Oil Processing Unit in Singapore Due to Suspected Leak

AI & Offshore Energy: The Higher the Stakes, the More Value AI Creates

Transocean’s Drillship to Stay in India Under New $111M Deal

Current News

INEOS Wraps Up Acquisition of CNOOC’s US Oil and Gas Assets

Fire at Petronas Gas Pipeline in Malaysia Sends 63 to Hospital

Japan’s ENEOS Xplora, PVEP Ink Deal for Vietnam Offshore Block

CNOOC Makes Major Oil and Gas Discovery in South China Sea

Valeura’s Assets in Gulf of Thailand Remain Operational After Earthquake

Op-Ed: Kazakhstan’s National O&G Firm Positioning Itself as Global Energy Player

Woodside to Shed Some Trinidad and Tobago Assets for $206M

CNOOC Sees 11% Profit Growth in 2024 Driven by Record Oil Production

‘Ultra-Mega’ Offshore Deal for L&T at QatarEnergy LNG’s North Field Gas Scheme

Keel Laying for Wind Flyer Trimaran Crew Boat

Subscribe for AOG Digital E‑News

AOG Digital E-News is the subsea industry's largest circulation and most authoritative ENews Service, delivered to your Email three times per week

https://accounts.newwavemedia.com