MARCON and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering partnership will develop an environmentally friendly Service Operation Vessel tailored to South Korea’s offshore wind sector
Korea’s leading hybrid workboat builder, MARCON and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) have launched a joint development programme to design a next-generation service operation vessel (SOV) tailored to the requirements of South Korea’s expanding offshore wind sector.
The collaboration, formalised through a cooperation agreement signed on 10 June, will focus on developing an environmentally friendly SOV optimised for Korea’s coastal and offshore conditions while meeting the operational demands of domestic offshore wind projects.
As offshore wind developments move further from the coastline, routine maintenance can no longer depend solely on daily crew transfers from shore. Instead, technicians require a permanent offshore base that enables them to remain close to wind farms for extended maintenance campaigns.
The new SOV concept is intended to fulfil that role, providing onboard accommodation, operational workspaces, safe personnel transfer systems and integrated support facilities. By serving as a floating operations base, the vessel will enable efficient inspection, maintenance and repair activities while reducing transit times and improving overall operational efficiency for offshore wind operators.
Under the agreement, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) will provide expertise in environmentally friendly propulsion technologies, marine energy storage systems and vessel electrification, while MARCON will lead vessel design, construction, commercialisation and integration into offshore wind operations and maintenance (O&M) activities.
The partners will also seek Approval in Principle from the Korean Register (KR), supporting the development of a service operation vessel that maximises the use of South Korea’s domestic shipbuilding, equipment manufacturing and supply-chain capabilities.
Rather than viewing the SOV as a standalone asset, MARCON said the project forms part of a wider offshore wind operating ecosystem designed to support the country’s expanding renewable energy sector.
The company’s integrated O&M strategy begins with the HCTV3011, a 30-metre hybrid crew transfer vessel (CTV) currently under construction, and extends to HOMEPORT, MARCON’s clean offshore wind operations base concept.
Within this framework, CTVs will provide daily technician transfers, SOVs will support extended offshore maintenance campaigns, and HOMEPORT will act as the shoreside infrastructure linking vessel operations with offshore wind assets.
