Original Korean article: Electric Times
Daehan Electric Wire is moving to localize high-performance ROVs for HVDC submarine cable projects. Daehan Electric Wire (CEO Song Jong-min) announced on the 20th that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Fanstar Robotics, a marine robotics specialist company, on the 19th for "localization of ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles) for offshore wind and HVDC submarine cables." The agreement was pursued to strengthen construction competitiveness for large-scale HVDC submarine cable projects such as the West Coast Energy Superhighway. The two companies plan to localize high-performance burial ROVs and operational technologies and construction solutions that currently have high overseas dependence, thereby improving self-sufficiency in the submarine cable industry and enhancing project execution stability and construction efficiency.
Currently, burial equipment deployed in large-scale and high-difficulty submarine cable projects such as HVDC is mostly foreign-made, and overseas specialized personnel are often required for operations. In particular, the need for high-performance burial ROVs optimized for domestic sea conditions has been consistently raised, as the waters off the southwest coast of Korea have fast currents, high turbidity, and shallow depths.
Through this agreement, the two companies will jointly develop high-performance burial ROVs and operational systems that can be deployed not only in offshore wind internal and external networks but also in long-distance grid connection and HVDC submarine cables. They also plan to demonstrate submarine cable burial and protection technologies and pursue commercialization.
Going forward, the companies plan to apply the developed equipment and technologies to actual submarine cable construction sites, participate in national research and development projects to advance the technology, and jointly explore overseas market entry.
Daehan Electric Wire's strategy is to internalize core submarine cable construction technologies through this joint development to enhance its capabilities for large-scale HVDC projects such as the West Coast Energy Superhighway. Based on this, the company plans to strengthen its turnkey execution competitiveness for submarine cables, spanning from design and production to transportation, laying, and burial.
Fanstar Robotics is a specialized company providing various marine robot services based on AI robot technology and was established by the Korea Institute of Robotics and Convergence (KIRO). It possesses core technologies related to submarine cable burial ROVs and has secured technological capabilities and on-site execution competence by deploying self-developed robots in domestic and international submarine cable projects.
The signing ceremony was held at Daehan Electric Wire's headquarters located in Hoban Park Building 2 in Seocho-gu, Seoul, with key officials including Daehan Electric Wire's Executive Director Lee Chun-won (Submarine Business Division), Executive Director Kim Hyun-joo (Production and Technology Division), Senior Managing Director Hong Dong-seok (Technology Research Institute), and Fanstar Robotics CEO Min Jung-tak in attendance.
Daehan Electric Wire's Executive Director Lee Chun-won stated, "The localization of high-performance submarine cable ROVs is an important task that goes beyond simple equipment development to enhance the competitiveness of the domestic submarine cable supply chain," and added, "We will continue to strengthen the competitiveness of the entire submarine cable value chain to contribute to national energy security and play a key role in the global market as a total solution provider for submarine cables."
Meanwhile, Daehan Electric Wire is continuously expanding its investments for stabilizing the domestic submarine cable supply chain. Following the completion of Submarine Factory 1, the company is constructing Submarine Factory 2, which will enable production of 640kV HVDC submarine cables, to expand its domestic production base. Additionally, following the introduction of PALOS, Korea's first CLV (Cable Laying Vessel) for offshore wind, the company has introduced the Skandi Connector to strengthen construction competitiveness in submarine cable transportation, laying, and burial. In recognition of these production and construction infrastructure expansion efforts, Daehan Electric Wire was selected as a "supply chain stabilization leading company" in the submarine cable sector in December of last year.
