LOC to Advise Woen Jinn on Cable Lay Barge Conversion

LOC Renewables’ company Longitude Engineering has won a contract in Taiwan with the subsea cable installer Woen Jinn Harbor Engineering, under which it will assess the WJ#5 cable lay barge and advise on the specifications and conversion work required to fit the barge for offshore wind operations.

Furthermore, Longitude will provide ongoing support during the barge’s operation life and is also working with Woen Jinn to determine its role as owners’ engineer during the necessary design engineering to convert the cable lay barge to a fit-for-purpose vessel.

Nicolas Cazeres, Managing Director at Longitude’s Singapore office, said: “Supported by staff in the UK, our Chinese-speaking team in Singapore will ensure that the knowledge and experience we have built up in European markets is successfully leveraged and deployed in Taiwan and the surrounding region.”

“As the leading cable installation company in Taiwan, we played a key role in the completion of the country’s first offshore wind turbine in 2016,” said Cheng Yu (Bruce) Lee, Director at Woen Jinn Harbor Engineering. “As we plan for the future of offshore wind power in Taiwan, our co-operation with Longitude Engineering in barge design and related verification activities will allow us to continue to deliver a first-class local cable installation service in Taiwan.”

In June 2017, international marine and engineering consultancy LOC Group, comprising LOC and Longitude, created LOC Renewables as a focused team of consultants to bring the group’s capabilities to the offshore renewable energy sector.

In September last year, LOC Renewables also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Taiwan with the CR Classification Society, Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, Taiwan Electric Research & Testing Center, and Electronics Testing Center to look to enhance the quality, safety and reliability of offshore wind farm construction in the South China Sea region.