Asian nations counting on offshore wind farms to meet clean energy goals are facing an increasing shortage of ships for installing the massive turbines in the sea.
As countries embark on a rapid build-out of wind power in the next decade, builders can’t churn out the support vessels fast enough to keep up, shipping experts say. The situation is only going to get worse as blades get longer and require bigger ships to handle them.
"Specialized vessels are going to be in demand for projects in Taiwan and South Korea,” said Sean Lee, chief executive officer of shipyard Marco Polo Marine. "There will be more and more projects coming up, and a big wave of them in Japan from 2028.”