South Korea's Taihan Cable Teams Up with Panstar Robotics to Localize ROV Technology for Submarine Cables

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 19, South Korea's Taihan Cable & Solution signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with marine robotics company Panstar Robotics to jointly develop high-performance remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) trenchers and supporting operating systems for offshore wind and high-voltage direct current (HVDC) submarine cable projects.

Currently, the vast majority of high-performance trenching equipment used in large-scale HVDC submarine cable projects in South Korea relies on imports, and equipment operation often requires the involvement of overseas technical specialists. The waters off South Korea's southwest coast feature strong currents, high turbidity, and shallow depths, creating a long-standing and clear demand for high-performance ROV trenchers adapted to the country's marine environment. This collaboration aims to reduce dependence on external equipment and overseas experts, enhancing the self-sufficiency of South Korea's submarine cable industry and the reliability of project execution.

Under the agreement, the two parties will jointly develop high-performance ROV trenchers and operating systems suitable for offshore wind farm array and export cable systems, long-distance grid interconnections, and HVDC submarine cable projects. Subsequent plans include demonstration testing of submarine cable burial and protection technologies, followed by commercialization efforts. Once developed, the equipment and technology will be applied to actual submarine cable construction sites, and the two parties will also participate in national R&D projects to advance technological upgrades while jointly exploring overseas market opportunities.

Panstar Robotics is a specialized marine robotics company established by the Korea Institute of Robotics & Technology Convergence (KIRO), holding core technology in ROV-based submarine cable burial, with its self-developed robots already deployed in submarine cable projects both in South Korea and overseas. Taihan has been continuously strengthening its submarine cable supply chain footprint in recent years: it is currently building a second submarine cable factory, which will be capable of producing 640 kV-class HVDC submarine cables once operational; earlier this year, it completed a dedicated testing center capable of simultaneously testing two 640 kV-class HVDC cable circuits; and more recently, it added the cable-laying vessel "Skandi Connector" to its fleet.