The Largest Renewable Energy Cluster
Targeting Operation in 2032, Producing 880,000 MWh of Electricity
On the 19th, Utap Construction held an offshore wind power business briefing at the multipurpose hall on the first floor of the Kim Daejung Convention Center in Seo-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Kim Wanjung
Utap Construction, a mid-sized construction company based in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province, announced on the 27th that it has obtained approval for an offshore wind power generation project in Sinan-gun, South Jeolla Province, and held a large-scale business briefing.
The "Utap Sinan Offshore Wind Power Project Briefing," held at the Kim Daejung Convention Center in Gwangju on the 19th, attracted over 1,400 attendees. The event featured presentations focused on practical topics such as an overview of Utap's ongoing project, the current status of securing grid connections, strategies for coexistence with local residents, project profitability, and policy linkages.
On the 22nd, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy officially announced that the "Sinan Offshore Wind Power Project," which will establish a total of 3.2GW-class offshore wind power complexes in the waters of Sinan-gun, South Jeolla Province, has been designated as a national renewable energy cluster. This marks the largest cluster designation in the history of renewable energy development in Korea, signaling the full-scale launch of a new development model that combines institutional improvements with site selection systems.
The cluster model is a core strategy of the national energy policy, in which local governments take the lead in identifying suitable sites, and various stakeholders?including local residents, fishermen, and businesses?form a public-private consultative body to secure community acceptance before proceeding. In particular, once an area is designated as a cluster, the government provides support for the construction of joint connection facilities and securing power grid access, as well as policy incentives such as increased REC (Renewable Energy Certificate) weighting.
Major public enterprises and energy companies, including SK Innovation, KEPCO, and Jeonnam Development Corporation, are participating in the Sinan offshore wind power cluster. With this designation, Utap's project has overcome the critical entry barrier of securing grid access and is expected to gain significant momentum. Previously, private operators had to establish their own grid connections; however, following the cluster designation, joint connection facilities can now be built through KEPCO, which is anticipated to accelerate the project's progress.
Utap Construction received approval for the power generation project from the Electricity Commission of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on December 30 of last year and is currently developing a 323MW offshore wind power complex over an area of 61.26 square kilometers in Imja-myeon, Sinan-gun, South Jeolla Province. This project, with an investment of approximately 2 trillion won, aims to begin construction in 2029 and commence commercial operation in 2032. It is expected to produce about 880,000 MWh of electricity annually, supplying clean energy for approximately one million people.
Jung Byungrae, Chairman of Utap Group, stated, "This briefing demonstrated that Utap is evolving beyond a simple construction company to become a key player in offshore wind power through direct construction and operation," adding, "We will do our utmost to ensure that Utap's challenge, which began in Gwangju, contributes to both the local economy and the nation's energy transition."
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