Dong Fang Offshore has aided the offshore wind industry in Taiwan, with an impressive and diverse fleet since its establishment in 2019. The company has reached some impressive milestones over the past few years, including its acquisition of the Orient Adventurer –soon to be Taiwan’s first cable laying vessel (CLV). Chief Operating Officer Ben Darrington discussed this achievement and the company’s next steps, in conversation with Imogen Ward.
Dong Fang Offshore maintains exceptional standards within ship management. Based in Taiwan, the company follows the highest industry specifications to ensure the safety of its crews. “What really sets us apart from our competition,” Chief Operating Officer Ben Darrington said, “is our willingness to embrace international industry standards. We incorporate these principles wherever we can to deliver a high-quality service in a market that is very remote from the usual supply chain for offshore wind.”
As a thriving subsidiary of Hung Hua Construction Group, Dong Fang Offshore continues to make history in the Taiwanese offshore wind industry. The company began operating in 2019 with an impressive fleet of CTVs (all manufactured at Damen). Since then, the fleet expanded and diversified to meet the needs of the wind farm industry.
Several key areas of the renewables sector are supported by the c ompany, including commissioning and surveyance activities, operations and maintenance (general upkeep and repair work), and the installation of offshore cables and foundations.
After being established for the support of the wind industry, Dong Fang Offshore made the conscious decision to improve its sustain -
able practices. The company’s strong love for the sea inspired it to remove single-use plastics from all its ships. This action helped contribute to a reduction of plastic in the ocean.
A flawless fleet
As a further homage to the renewable energy sector, the company actively acquires clean vessels that do not emit harmful waste into the water.
The use of renewable power sources for its fleet is also on the cards at Dong Fang Offshore (it is currently considering implementing batteries as a short-term bid to improve sustainability). The fleet currently consists of 12 youthful vessels, that helped
DONG FANG OFFSHORE I PROFILE
the company gain several impressive accolades: Dong Fang Offshore is currently the largest owner and operator of CSVs and CTVs in Taiwan.
On top of this impressive
accomplishment, the company is also adapting its latest acquisition (the Orient Adventurer) into Taiwan’s first CLV. This conversion should be completed by the middle of 2024.
In Dong Fang Offshore’s portfolio are five modern CTVs that aid the wind farm industry in the transportation of personnel and components. These vessels carry up to 20 tonnes of cargo on an impressive 90 square metre deck. The majority of these CTVs are Damen-built FCS 2710, providing extra space and an independent suspension system in every seat (dampening the impact of rough seas) for optimal comfort.
“Our CTVs are busy throughout the summer, and increasingly throughout the winter too,” Mr Darrington said. “This is because our customers recognise the CTVs ability to achieve high productivity in the colder months. Our vessels can work through difficult weather conditions due to the quality of parts and equipment we order in from our European contractors.”
Three AHTS vessels are a vital element of Dong Fang Offshore’s fleet. These tugs are used for towing barges and structures, providing surveyance and offering guard services to the offshore industry too. Each vessel is manned with over 20 experienced crew members to always ensure smooth operations.
The last vessel in the line-up is the Orient Constructor, a CSV that specialises in geotechnical surveyance and is designed for use as a walk to work vessel. “We purchased the Orient Constructor in 2021,” Mr Darrington said, “and it is our first construction support vessel. This was a huge milestone for Dong Fang Offshore.”
Seafaring support
More recently, Dong Fang Offshore relied on the support of its outstanding suppliers. The company holds these relationships in the same regard as its customers – they are equally important to the continuation of the business.
“Our suppliers are key to our success,” Mr Darrington explained. “We regard them as partners. So, it is very important that we can continue working with these suppliers to create and deliver projects that are a success. We need the support of our suppliers, not just for equipment, but also as subcontractors; to help solve problems, to deliver solutions in a difficult and remote market, and to ensure the completion of projects.”
To nurture these relationships, Dong Fang Offshore is also committed to supportive structures, including long term partnership agreements, enabling the companies to work side-by-side in the exploration of potential business opportunities. Dong Fang Offshore also encourages its suppliers to keep more products in stock (to minimise the effects of the global supply issues and ensure the company continues working with the highest standard of products).
One relationship that the company has developed is with Damen – a reputable shipyard based in the Netherlands – providing high-specification newbuild CTV vessels to Dong Fang Offshore.
Veering forwards
Dong Fang Offshore has exciting prospects lined up for the future, planning to further expand its fast-developing fleet.
“Expansion is our focus,” Mr Darrington said. “We also aim to expand into other countries in the region. These would include Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Australia. Currently, offshore wind is quite a limited industry in these countries. They do, however, have a lot of potential. So, we would be extremely interested in expanding outside of the region of Taiwan and into the greater Pacific Ocean.”
To achieve these goals, the company will continue providing luxurious and modern vessels for the offshore wind industry –offering the best support for the maintenance of wind turbines.
“We are very excited to continue offering our customers the best engineered solutions,” Mr Darrington concluded. “Owning the first support vessel and CLV under the Taiwan flag, we continue to grow and expand our repertoire, pushing ourselves to perform and deliver a renowned standard of service. Through our hard work and dedication, we are accelerating the development of the offshore wind industry and delivering clean and sustainable energy to the Taiwanese community.” n
