By Hye-kyu Choi, Busan Ilbo Reporter (iwill@busan.com), Published April 25, 2023, 6:11 PM
A Busan-based company has unveiled the first private large-scale marine exploration vessel in the waters off Busan.
Geoview, a marine exploration specialist based in Busan, announced that it held the launch ceremony and vessel unveiling event for its marine exploration ship, ‘Geoview DP-1,’ on the 25th at a pier next to the Busan Port Authority in Jung-gu, Busan. The Geoview DP-1 is a 1,731-ton vessel with a capacity for 30 crew members, equipped with marine exploration equipment such as the 3,000m-capable MBES (EM 712) from Norway’s Kongsberg and the 5,000m-capable Parametric SBP (Deep 36) from Germany’s Innomar.
The Geoview DP-1 will be deployed for marine exploration in the offshore wind farm project ‘Haewool Floating Wind Farm’ off the coast of Ulsan, led by the Danish offshore wind development company COP (Copenhagen Offshore Partners).
According to Geoview, the acquisition of a large vessel for marine exploration by a private company, aside from research institutions like the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), is a first in Korea. Geoview pursued the acquisition of a specialized vessel for marine exploration as a critical step in offshore wind power development.
Geoview previously exported marine exploration technology to the Philippines in 2019, becoming the first Korean company to do so. In 2021, the company conducted an underwater power cable installation project between Wando and Jeju, and last year, they carried out a marine exploration project for Equinor, a Norwegian state-owned company, at the floating wind farm project off the coast of Ulsan.
With the launch of the Geoview DP-1, Geoview expects to raise the standards of the domestic commercial marine exploration market and contribute to accurately identifying sites and understanding seabed topography in the emerging offshore wind power industry in Korea.
Kim Hyun-do, CEO of Geoview, stated, “Until now, marine exploration was practically the domain of global marine exploration companies from Europe and the U.S. due to the lack of vessels and equipment, technical barriers, and limited experience. From now on, Geoview will be responsible for exploring our seas.”
Reporter: Choi Hye-gyu, iwill@busan.com
