Daehan Green Power's 8MW Offshore Wind Test Project, First of Its Kind in Korea, Gains Momentum... Accelerating ESG Management

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hyowon] Amid the government's roadmap announcement for a major transition to a carbon-neutral era and the spread of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management principles, Daehan Green Power is accelerating its efforts in offshore wind power generation following its solar power projects.

Daehan Green Power announced on the 24th that the 8MW-class ultra-large wind power generation pilot project, which is the first of its kind in Korea and the third worldwide, is expected to begin trial operation this coming January.

Daehan Green Power's parent company, Daehan Green Energy, has been participating in the West Coast offshore wind power industry-academia-research consortium since May last year. Together with Jeollanam-do, Jeonnam Technopark, the Energy Research Institute, Doosan Heavy Industries, and others, they have been promoting the 8MW-class offshore wind power pilot project.

The 8MW-class offshore wind power demonstration infrastructure project is a large-scale project costing over 20 billion KRW per generator, with Daehan Green Energy responsible for the installation of the wind turbines. They will provide their own substations and transmission lines through in-kind contributions.

Daehan Green Power is playing a central role in the 8MW-class generator pilot project, which is the first attempt in Korea, and with the installation for trial operation progressing smoothly, it is expected that the competitiveness of the offshore wind power business will be strengthened.

Domestically, over the past decade, wind power generation has centered around 3MW-class turbines, and in 2019, a 5MW-class turbine with 68m-long blades was developed. The 8MW-class ultra-large wind turbine, with blades reaching 100m in length and scheduled for trial operation early next year, is one of only three such models worldwide, alongside those in the UK and China, and is expected to become the main model in the offshore wind power market going forward.

CEO Park Geunsik stated, “As offshore wind power emerges as a promising alternative for realizing the carbon-neutral scenario, it is an even more important energy generation project in Korea, which is surrounded by the sea on three sides. The 8MW-class pilot project marks the beginning of the full-scale offshore wind era, and academia, research institutes, and private companies are strengthening cooperation to achieve the rapid commercial operation of domestically produced large turbines. Therefore, the trial operation planned for January next year should proceed smoothly.”

Daehan Green Power and Daehan Green Energy have secured their own EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) capabilities for advancing offshore wind power projects, and they expect the achievements in the offshore wind power business to expand. Furthermore, based on the experience and know-how gained from this project, they plan to create synergies in promoting the Yeonggwang Yawol offshore wind power and Duuri offshore wind power projects scheduled for next year.

CEO Park added, “Offshore wind power is a business that aligns with carbon neutrality and ESG trends and has very high future growth potential. Daehan Green Power plans to achieve meaningful results not only in solar power generation but also in future-oriented energy businesses such as offshore wind power generation, while further strengthening ESG management.”

Meanwhile, according to the industrial energy carbon-neutral major transition vision and strategy recently announced by the government, the proportion of renewable energy in total power production is targeted to increase to 30.2% by 2030 and to 72.1% by 2050. The industry predicts that to achieve this, offshore wind power must be expanded by at least several gigawatts by 2030, and by 2050, at least 150GW of power should be produced from wind power.