Updated 21 October: This article originally claimed that DSME was in the running to supply the foundations. This has been refuted by developer, Repsol.
A source at the company told Windpower Monthly that it had intending to enter the tendering process with developers EDPR and Repsol over supplying the foundations for the 784MW project in the Scottish North Sea.
But the developers said that they have already pre-selected the foundation suppliers ahead of a tendering process. The source also indicated that the company is looking at other smaller projects in order to prove the viability of the foundations.
In June, Windpower Monthly revealed that the South Korean firm has suspended its 7MW turbine programme and is instead looking to establish itself as a supplier of jacket foundations for the European offshore wind market.
DSME would fabricate the steel tubing in South Korea, where labour is cheaper, and would then ship them to Europe, where the jackets would be assembled for installation on North Sea projects.
The company anticipated that despite higher transport costs, it would be able to deliver jackets at a lower price than European manufacturers.
However, DSME will only begin manufacturing once it is sure that it has a significant enough pipeline to make it financially viable, with the source anticipating that around 100 orders a year would be necessary to cross this threshold.
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