Taihan Signs HVDC MOUs with Jan De Nul and Boskalis
South Korea's Taihan Cable & Solution signed separate memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with Belgium's Jan De Nul and the Netherlands' Boskalis on 10 June at the Korea-EU Energy Transition Cooperation Forum in Brussels, establishing new partnerships focused on HVDC submarine cable projects.
The forum was hosted by South Korea's Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment on the occasion of President Lee Jae-myung's state visit to the European Union. It was attended by Minister Kim Sung-hwan alongside representatives from Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and the Korea Power Exchange, as well as senior figures from European industry including Siemens, RWE and TenneT.
Taihan was the only South Korean company to sign MOUs at the event. Under the agreements, the three parties will cooperate on HVDC submarine cables and related infrastructure, while jointly exploring new business opportunities arising from the global energy transition and the growth of offshore power transmission. The partnerships are structured to combine Taihan's cable manufacturing and project execution capabilities with the offshore wind, marine infrastructure and subsea cable installation expertise held by Jan De Nul and Boskalis. Both European firms are active in large-scale offshore energy projects across European and international markets.
Taihan's plan is to offer an integrated total solution spanning cable manufacturing through to offshore installation, with the aim of strengthening its competitive position in domestic and global HVDC submarine cable markets.
Vice Chairman Song Jong-min, who represented Taihan at the forum, said the agreements would contribute to enhancing the global competitiveness of South Korea's power and energy industries, and would strengthen technological and business capabilities in HVDC power grid infrastructure. He added that Taihan would continue to expand its footprint in global submarine cable and power infrastructure markets, drawing on its accumulated technical expertise, quality credentials and international network.
Expanding Manufacturing and Installation Capacity
The MOU signings coincide with an ongoing expansion of Taihan's subsea infrastructure base. The company is currently constructing a second submarine cable manufacturing plant in Dangjin, South Chungcheongnam-do, which will be capable of producing 640kV-class HVDC cables. On the installation side, Taihan recently acquired the 10,000-ton-class cable-laying vessel (CLV) Skandi Connector, complementing the CLV PALOS, which the company describes as South Korea's only dedicated cable-laying vessel. Together, these assets underpin Taihan's stated strategy of providing turnkey manufacturing, transportation and installation services for offshore power transmission projects worldwide.
