Japanese shipping major Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has received approval in principle (AiP) from compatriot classification society ClassNK for the basic design of specialized vessels for subsea power cable jointing and burial.
MOL is working with Sumitomo Electric Industries, Furukawa Electric, and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) to develop what it says are fundamental technologies, including a new type of cable-laying vessel (CLV).
The initiative is part of a project subsidized by the Japanese government’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
The AiP indicates that drawings at the early design stage have been reviewed in consideration of regulatory requirements and approved as meeting technical and safety standards.
In its BLUE ACTION 2035 management plan, MOL identifies offshore wind power as a key business segment.
According to the Japanese player, power transmission lines must be reinforced to deliver electricity from wind power generation sites, such as those in Hokkaido, to distant major consumption centers. Long-distance subsea DC transmission is regarded as a promising solution for efficiently transmitting large volumes of power and is considered effective for both power grid development and offshore wind power generation.