Certification Obtained from American Bureau of Shipping for Two Types of 15?18 MW-Class Offshore Wind Floating Platforms
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has taken the lead in the related market by independently developing a floating offshore wind floater model.
On the 16th, at the '2024 International Offshore Plant Exhibition' (OFFSHORE KOREA 2024) held at BEXCO in Busan, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries received basic certification from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for two types of offshore wind floater models (model name Hi-Float).
The event was attended by Won Kwang-sik, Head of the Marine Energy Business Division at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and Matthew Trambley, Vice President of ABS, among others. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries was recognized for the basic conceptual design safety and performance validity of two floater models: the '15-megawatt (MW) centered type' and the '18 MW eccentric type.'
A floater is a large structure that supports offshore wind power facilities floating on the sea. Floating offshore wind has the advantage of being installable farther out at sea compared to fixed types, allowing for the uniform utilization of faster and stronger winds, thereby producing more electricity.
The 15 MW centered floater certified this time is a semi-submersible type where the floater supporting the generator is partially submerged. While overseas companies mainly adopt the 'eccentric type,' which installs the tower and turbine on one side of a triangular-shaped floater, this model is characterized by placing the turbine in the center of the floater to reduce its movement.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries independently developed this model by applying the technology and know-how accumulated through the construction of numerous offshore plants, including semi-submersible Floating Production Units (FPU).
In particular, based on its experience with the East Sea gas field in 2004, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries designed the model to provide excellent dynamic motion performance and structural stability even in the East Sea, where waves are high and wind speeds are fast.
Additionally, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries received recognition for the basic design safety of the 18 MW eccentric offshore wind floater, which has an expanded turbine capacity.
With this, following the development of a 10 MW floater in 2021, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has succeeded in developing 15 MW and 18 MW models, enabling proactive response to the growing demand in the offshore wind market, where power generation capacity is trending larger.
Won Kwang-sik, Head of the Marine Energy Business Division at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, said, "Through this floater development, we expect to contribute to the early activation of the domestic offshore wind industry," adding, "We will continue to lead the development of carbon-neutral marine technologies based on the experience and technological capabilities we have accumulated."
In addition, HD Hyundai is accelerating the development of various technologies to target the achievement of carbon neutrality and the eco-friendly energy market, including the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) business, a 100 MW-class green hydrogen demonstration project, carbon capture and storage (CCS) business utilizing the East Sea gas field, and offshore substations.
Meanwhile, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is participating in the '2024 International Offshore Plant Exhibition,' which runs until the 18th, with a 135㎡ (approximately 41 pyeong) booth, showcasing not only the Hi-Float but also eco-friendly technologies in the shipbuilding and offshore plant sectors, such as the 36,000-horsepower Himsen engine (model name: H54DF) and the Himsen propulsion package (HiMSEN Propulsion Package).
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
