Marlinks Secures Inaugural Offshore Cable Monitoring Contract in Taiwan
Belgium-based Marlinks has reached a significant milestone by securing its first major contract in Taiwan. The company will provide cable health monitoring services for the export and inter-array cables of the impressive 1044 MW Hai Long offshore wind farm.
The comprehensive contract encompasses the design, supply, installation, and commissioning of monitoring hardware, as well as the continuous provision of integrity monitoring services. These services include depth of burial assessment, real-time thermal rating (RTTR), distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) monitoring, and termination monitoring.
Roel Vanthillo, Co-Founder, and CEO of Marlinks expressed enthusiasm for Hai Long's decision to opt for a complete cable health monitoring package. Marlinks is poised to work closely with the Hai Long project team to monitor the cables in the challenging sea conditions, ensuring their integrity throughout their operational lifetime.
In line with its commitment to the East Asian market, Marlinks plans to establish a branch office in Taiwan in 2023. The company had previously set up a representative office in 2022.
The ambitious 1044 MW Hai Long development will consist of two offshore wind farms, divided into three stages. Hai Long 2 will be split into two phases: Hai Long 2a with a capacity of 300 MW, and Hai Long 2b with 232 MW. Additionally, Hai Long 3 is slated to have an installed capacity of 512 MW.
Notably, in July 2022, Hellenic Cables, a Greek cable manufacturer, was awarded an agreement to supply 66 kV cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE)-insulated inter-array cables and associated accessories for the Hai Long 2 and 3 offshore wind project. Subsequently, LS Cable & System signed a substantial submarine cable supply agreement worth $150 million (approximately £119 million) for the offshore wind project.
