Nearshore Wind Power Construction – A Sustainable Energy Solution from PLC Corporation

In the context of climate change and the increasing demand for clean energy, nearshore wind power is emerging as one of the leading solutions. This is not only a global trend but also a great opportunity for Vietnam to develop renewable energy. With over 15 years of experience in executing large-scale projects, PLC Corporation is proud to be a trusted partner in implementing nearshore wind power projects, providing optimal, high-quality, and sustainable solutions for clients.

Table of Contents

Introduction to Nearshore Wind Power

Nearshore wind power is the process of harnessing wind energy from the sea and converting it into electricity. The major advantage of nearshore wind power compared to other energy sources is the vast space on the sea, where the wind blows stronger and more consistently than on land, which increases electricity production efficiency.
Vietnam, with over 3,000 kilometers of coastline, has great potential for nearshore wind power development, thanks to favorable natural conditions and government policies supporting renewable energy. Nearshore wind power projects not only help reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also contribute to sustainable development goals.

PLC Corporation’s Capability in Nearshore Wind Power Construction

PLC Corporation is proud to have over 15 years of experience in executing industrial and large-scale infrastructure projects, especially in the field of nearshore wind power. We have built a solid reputation, becoming a strategic partner for many major corporations both domestically and internationally.

Experience: PLC has not only participated in basic stages of projects but has also undertaken many critical tasks, including piling, foundation construction, and the transportation of large wind power equipment. For example, PLC has contributed to major nearshore wind power projects in Vietnam such as Hòa Bình, VPL, Tân Ân, and Viên An Cà Mau, helping to complete the technical infrastructure for these projects. These are high-tech projects requiring meticulous preparation, and PLC has demonstrated outstanding capability in ensuring both progress and quality in construction.
Expert Team: One of PLC’s greatest strengths is our team of experienced engineers and specialists in nearshore wind power construction. They are not only skilled in lifting and installation projects but also stay updated with the latest technologies, applying advanced construction processes to ensure absolute safety at each stage. Additionally, alongside our professional lifting experts, PLC has a team of marine specialists with deep knowledge of the natural conditions and characteristics of Vietnam’s coastal regions, especially in the southern seas. This helps PLC optimize the construction process in harsh marine environments, ensuring projects are completed on time and to a high standard.
Notable Projects: In addition to construction and transportation, PLC is also actively involved in providing personnel and equipment for the operation and maintenance (O&M) activities of several large wind power projects, including Hòa Bình, Bến Tre, and Tân Ân. This not only affirms PLC’s role during the construction phase but also throughout the entire lifecycle of the project, ensuring stable and efficient operation of the system over the long term. PLC continues to work alongside major partners, playing a crucial role in the sustainable development of the renewable energy sector in Vietnam.

Basic Nearshore Wind Power Construction Process by PLC

Nearshore wind power construction is a complex process that requires high technical standards and careful preparation. PLC implements a step-by-step process to ensure projects are completed on schedule, meeting the highest standards of quality and safety.

Site Survey: Thoroughly assessing sea conditions, including geological and underwater terrain surveys, to select the optimal installation site. The geological survey is a crucial step to ensure the foundation is built on stable ground, avoiding risks from natural conditions.
Design Planning: After completing the survey, PLC’s engineering team develops detailed design drawings based on the specific information of the project. These designs include construction plans for piling, foundation systems, and the installation of turbines and underwater cables.
Test Piling: Before proceeding with full-scale work, PLC conducts test piling to check the load-bearing capacity of the foundation and ensure that the official construction process will proceed smoothly and safely.
Full-Scale Piling and Foundation Construction: Once the test piles meet the required standards, PLC begins full-scale piling and foundation construction for the entire turbine system. This process requires the use of heavy equipment such as hydraulic hammers and specialized vessels to ensure precision and progress.
Turbine Transport and Installation, and Cable Laying: After the foundation system is completed, PLC transports and installs the wind turbine components, from the turbine towers and blades to the related equipment. At the same time, the underwater cable system is laid to connect to the national grid. This process requires precise coordination between equipment and highly specialized personnel to ensure absolute safety.
Completion, Testing, and Handover: After installation is complete, the system undergoes trial operation to check for stability and performance. PLC’s engineers carry out comprehensive inspections and acceptance tests before handing over the system to the client, ensuring that the system operates efficiently and meets the most stringent technical standards.
With a rigorous process and investment in equipment and manpower, PLC ensures that every nearshore wind power construction project meets the highest quality and safety standards while staying on schedule.

Challenges in Nearshore Wind Power Construction

Nearshore wind power construction faces many significant challenges, especially in Vietnam, where natural conditions and technical infrastructure are not yet fully developed. Some of the biggest challenges include:

Complex Weather Conditions: The East Sea region is frequently affected by tropical storms, strong winds, and large waves, creating considerable obstacles for the construction process. High seas and strong currents can disrupt progress, affecting the transport and installation of nearshore wind turbines.
Diverse Geology and Terrain: The depth of nearshore waters in Vietnam varies greatly, from shallow coastal areas to deep waters over 12 meters. This requires detailed geological surveys to ensure that wind turbine foundations are installed securely and safely in harsh environmental conditions.
Logistical Challenges: Supplying materials, equipment, and personnel for nearshore projects requires complex logistics preparation. Remote locations make transporting and maintaining equipment more difficult, requiring precise coordination at each stage of construction.
Shortage of Specialized Equipment: One of the biggest challenges is the use of specialized construction equipment, which is currently limited or unavailable in Vietnam. Particularly for deep waters over 12 meters, modern equipment such as large barges, giant cranes, and support systems are necessary, posing significant barriers for many domestic contractors when approaching large-scale projects.
Nearshore wind power construction in Vietnam requires substantial investment in technology, equipment, and resources. Weather, geology, and logistical challenges must be addressed through collaboration with experienced and capable partners to ensure projects are completed on time and safely.

The Necessity of a Professional Construction Company

Nearshore wind power construction is a complex process that requires high technical standards and professional management. Choosing an experienced construction company like PLC will ensure project success in many key areas:

Ensuring Safety: Construction at sea is one of the biggest challenges, not only in terms of technical requirements but also due to harsh natural conditions. From piling to turbine installation, every step must comply with strict labor safety and technical regulations to prevent accidents. With a team of experienced technicians, PLC is always committed to ensuring safety for all involved, especially in risky offshore environments.
Ensuring Quality: Nearshore wind power projects are not only valuable but also must withstand harsh weather conditions over a minimum lifespan of 25 years. This requires construction quality to meet the highest standards. PLC, with modern technology and equipment, along with a highly skilled team, is committed to providing sustainable and internationally compliant solutions, ensuring the project operates continuously and stably for decades.
Ensuring Progress: Nearshore construction time is often limited by favorable weather conditions, especially during calm months at sea. This creates significant pressure to meet project deadlines. A professional construction company like PLC will have a well-organized construction plan, utilizing optimal resources to ensure the project is completed on time, enabling quick operational deployment.
Environmental Protection: Nearshore wind power construction requires not only technical expertise but also a responsibility to protect the environment. A professional construction company like PLC always prioritizes the protection of marine ecosystems, ensuring that no negative impact is made on the surrounding environment. Safe construction practices and environmentally friendly equipment are top priorities, ensuring sustainability for both the project and the marine environment.
Health and Environmental Safety: Protecting the health of all project participants, as well as maintaining a safe working environment, is essential. PLC strictly adheres to safety protocols, applying pollution control measures and waste management to minimize the impact on the environment and community health.
With outstanding experience and capability, PLC is a reliable partner, helping ensure safety, quality, and progress for your project while contributing to environmental protection and sustainable development.

The Importance of Heavy Equipment in Nearshore Wind Power Construction

The construction and installation of nearshore wind power systems is a complex process that requires the support of heavy and specialized equipment. This equipment plays a crucial role not only in ensuring the quality and progress of the project but also in enhancing the safety of the entire construction process.

Heavy, specialized equipment: To safely and effectively construct nearshore wind power projects, using appropriate equipment is of utmost importance. Heavy equipment not only helps lift and transport large components like monopiles and turbine towers but also ensures that operations are carried out precisely without affecting the marine environment and surrounding infrastructure.
Foundation equipment: During the installation of turbine foundations, essential equipment like large hydraulic hammers and specialized piling vessels are indispensable. However, Vietnam currently has a limited number of these devices, which makes it difficult to execute nearshore projects, especially in deep-water areas.
Turbine installation equipment: The installation of nearshore wind turbines requires special equipment like turbine installation vessels and submerged docks – devices that are still not fully available or widespread in Vietnam. This leads to reliance on importing equipment from abroad, increasing costs and extending construction time.
Cable laying and installation equipment: To connect the wind power system to the national grid, underground cables must be accurately laid and installed on the seabed. Specialized equipment like cable-laying vessels and supporting machinery ensure that the cables are protected and function effectively in harsh underwater conditions.
Material supply systems: An essential factor in ensuring the quality and progress of nearshore wind power projects is a professional material supply system. Particularly, concrete mixing plants that meet international standards and have high capacity play a crucial role in providing high-quality concrete for foundation construction and auxiliary works. Consistency in concrete supply helps ensure that foundation structures are highly durable and capable of bearing loads in harsh marine environments.
All these factors play a critical role in ensuring the progress, quality, and safety of nearshore wind power projects. The shortage of specialized equipment and efficient material supply systems can affect construction timelines and pose technical and safety risks. Therefore, investing in modern equipment and efficient supply systems is essential for the success of nearshore wind power projects in Vietnam.

The Benefits of Choosing PLC as a Nearshore Wind Power Construction Partner

When choosing PLC, customers not only receive high-quality service but also enjoy numerous outstanding benefits, meeting all the complex demands of nearshore wind power projects:

Comprehensive solutions: PLC provides a closed-loop solution chain, from initial consulting, detailed design, construction, to operation and maintenance. Customers can trust that all project-related needs will be addressed comprehensively and efficiently.
Advanced technology: We consistently apply the latest technologies in the field of nearshore wind power, ensuring the highest levels of quality, safety, and efficiency for projects. Continuous innovation helps PLC enhance its competitiveness and optimize the construction process, delivering outstanding results for customers.
Competitive costs: With years of experience and optimized construction processes, PLC always offers solutions at reasonable costs. We understand that economic efficiency is crucial, so PLC is committed to providing the best investment value for customers without compromising on quality or timelines.
Legal support: Obtaining permits and complying with legal regulations in nearshore wind power projects can be very complex. PLC not only supports clients in legal procedures but also ensures that all processes comply with current regulations, helping projects proceed smoothly and avoiding legal risks.
Experience in nearshore wind power projects: PLC has participated in and successfully completed many critical construction tasks in nearshore wind power projects in Vietnam, from large monopile foundations to turbine installation and maintenance systems. This affirms PLC’s position as one of the leading companies in nearshore wind power construction in Vietnam.
Strong partner network: One of PLC’s key strengths is its solid international partner network. We collaborate with leading companies worldwide in the field of nearshore wind power construction equipment, including large monopile foundation construction, cranes with over 1,600-ton capacity, barges with over 20,000-ton capacity, jack-ups, submerged docks, and modern installation vessels. This partnership allows PLC to ensure the installation of all nearshore wind power projects in Vietnam at optimal costs while meeting both progress and quality requirements.
By combining experience, advanced technology, and a reputable partner network, PLC ensures that our clients’ nearshore wind power projects are implemented most efficiently, delivering the highest value to investors.

Nearshore Wind Power Projects PLC Has Participated In

PLC is proud to have contributed to many major nearshore wind power projects in Vietnam, making significant contributions to the development of renewable energy. Below is an overview of the key nearshore wind power projects PLC has participated in, along with the specific construction tasks undertaken:

Hòa Bình 1 and 2 Wind Power Projects:
Located in Bạc Liêu province, the Hòa Bình 1 and 2 nearshore wind power projects have a total capacity of 300 MW, including 100 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 3 MW, manufactured by Vestas. PLC was involved in several important tasks, including:
- Piling: Executing the piling system to ensure the stability and durability of the turbine foundations in harsh marine conditions.
- Foundation construction: Following the piling work, PLC was responsible for constructing the foundation systems, ensuring safety and quality for the turbine towers.
- Turbine transportation: PLC handled the transportation and installation of turbines from the port to the construction site, ensuring safety and progress for the entire project.
Viên An Cà Mau Wind Power Project:
Located in Cà Mau province, the Viên An wind power project has a total capacity of 50 MW, consisting of 15 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 3.33 MW, produced by top renewable energy manufacturers. In this project, PLC provided specialized technical services, including:
- Providing electrical and mechanical installation experts: PLC supplied a team of experienced specialists to install electrical and mechanical systems for the project, ensuring safe and precise connection and operation of the equipment.
VPL Wind Power Project:
Located in the Mekong Delta region, the VPL wind power project has a total capacity of 200 MW, comprising 60 turbines, each with a capacity of 3.33 MW, supplying energy to millions of households. PLC was involved in key construction tasks for this project:
- Foundation and piling construction: Responsible for constructing the foundation and piling systems for the entire project, ensuring robust support for the wind turbines.
- Turbine transportation: PLC also handled the transportation of turbines from the manufacturing plant to the installation site, ensuring safety and progress.
Tân Ân Wind Power Project:
Located in Cà Mau province, the Tân Ân wind power project has a capacity of approximately 75 MW, including 25 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 3 MW. For this project, PLC provided:
- Turbine lifting services at the port: PLC provided specialized lifting services to move and install turbines from transport vessels at the port to their installation sites at sea, ensuring safety and efficiency throughout the construction process.
  By participating in these large-scale wind power projects, PLC continues to affirm its role as a trusted partner in the field of nearshore wind power construction, contributing to the development of renewable energy in Vietnam. The projects PLC has been involved in are executed with professionalism, and we are committed to safety, quality, and timely completion.

Conclusion

With its outstanding experience and capabilities, PLC Corporation is committed to providing efficient, sustainable nearshore wind power construction solutions that maximize investment returns for clients. Join PLC in building a cleaner and more sustainable energy future for a greener and more developed Vietnam.

For free consultation and to learn more about PLC’s nearshore wind power construction services, please contact us via:
PLC Construction Machinery Joint Stock Company
Office: 2nd Floor, Mai Linh Dong Do Building, 499 Luong The Vinh, Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi.
Hotline: +84 974 612 609
Email: info@plc-corp.vn
Website: www.plc-corp.vn ; www.plccorp.vn