Taihan Cable & Solution and Panstar Robotics have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop high-performance remotely operated vehicle trenchers for submarine cable installation in South Korea.
The agreement was signed on 19 August. Panstar Robotics was established by the Korea Institute of Robotics & Technology Convergence (KIRO).
Under the agreement, the companies will work on ROV trenchers, operating technologies and installation solutions. The development is aimed at reducing dependence on overseas equipment and specialists in areas of submarine cable installation that currently rely heavily on foreign capabilities.
The equipment and operating systems are intended for offshore wind cable systems, long-distance grid interconnections and HVDC submarine cable projects, including the West Coast Energy Highway.
The partners also plan to conduct demonstration testing of submarine cable burial and protection technologies and pursue commercialization. They will seek participation in national research and development programs and jointly explore opportunities in overseas markets.
Chun-won Lee, Executive Vice President of Taihan Cable & Solution, said domestic development of high-performance ROVs for submarine cable installation would support efforts to strengthen Korea’s submarine cable supply chain.
The agreement follows other measures by Taihan Cable & Solution related to its submarine cable operations. The company is constructing Submarine Cable Plant 2, which will be capable of producing 640 kV HVDC submarine cables following completion of its first plant.
Earlier this year, Taihan Cable & Solution completed a dedicated cable test center capable of simultaneously testing two 640 kV-class HVDC cable circuits.
The company has also added the cable-laying vessel Skandi Connector to its fleet. PALOS, Korea’s first cable-laying vessel dedicated to offshore wind, is also part of the fleet.
