Dong Fang Offshore has been awarded a charter for a newbuild Taiwan-flagged Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV) by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) for the Fengmiao I project. The CSOV has already been ordered and will be delivered in the first quarter of 2027 from the shipyard, flying the flag of Taiwan.
The award has been the result of a successful collaboration between Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Copenhagen Offshore Partners on both the Changfang & Xidao and Zhongneng projects, strengthening the long term cooperation between the two companies, and reinforcing the commitment of CIP in developing a capable, competent and genuinely local supply chain for the sustainability of the APAC offshore wind industry. The commitment made by CIP has also triggered the construction of a new vessel to be permanently based in APAC, adding to the pool of capable vessels, demonstrating the proactive approach CIP is taking in alleviating the global vessel shortage that is slowing the global roll out of offshore wind and reducing the dependence on the already stretched global supply chain supporting offshore wind construction.
Once delivered, the new Commissioning Service Operation Vessel will create job opportunities for highly-skilled Taiwanese crew and professionals ashore to deliver high quality operations. The commitment ensures that Fengmiao I project will have a fit-for-purpose vessel to support operations, de-risking the project delivery. The CSOV shall be capable of support foundation installation, cable installation, turbine and balance of plant O&M.
Polin Chen, CEO of DFO says “CIP was the inaugural charterer of the first Taiwanese construction support vessel, the Orient Constructor, and this new award of CSOV charter demonstrates the long-term investment and support that CIP has made into suppliers like DFO to develop us from a small local vessel supplier into an organization that can deliver large scopes to international standards. We look forward to delivering the vessel and working hand in hand with CIP to de-risk the project during the operational phase, helping deliver competitive green energy to Taiwanese households, while ensuring that the long-term logistics and access to CIP’s offshore wind farms stays within the control of genuinely Taiwanese companies.”
“We have always understood the pivotal role Fengmiao I project is playing for laying a corner stone for the entire Round 3 development in Taiwan,” said Marina Hsu, CIP Regional Managing Director. “We’ve been shouldering the weight of establishing a well-functioning, competitive local supply chain since Round 2, and we will keep doing so in Round 3, as it is extremely essential for Taiwan to achieve sustainable built-out and operation of offshore wind projects which ensures the competitiveness of the country’s economy,”she added.
Dong Fang Offshore was founded in 2019 as the first dedicated, pure-play owner and operator of wind farm construction and support vessels in APAC. DFO employs over 300 professionals in the offshore wind industry and is the largest non-government linked marine contractor in Taiwan.
