Jeonnam Province Selected for Offshore Wind Power "Ground Investigation Technology Development" Project

Possibility of Independent Technology Rises as Reliance on Foreign Countries Decreases

Roles of Ground Investigation Technology Development by Institution. Provided by Jeonnam Province

On April 29, Jeonnam Province announced that it had been selected for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) public contest for "Standardization of Performance Criteria for Ground Investigation and Development of Fundamental Technologies for Offshore Wind Farm Construction."

Jeonnam Province participated in the project as part of a consortium with private companies such as Hyundai Steel Industries and Namjin Construction, as well as public institutions including the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, and Green Energy Institute. As a result of this selection, the consortium secured a total budget of 18.9 billion KRW, including national funding, for the five-year period from 2025 to 2029.

Offshore wind power projects require precise ground investigation to ensure the safety and durability of foundation structures, which must remain stable against strong ocean winds and currents. Through detailed ground analysis, risks such as subsidence or overturning can be prevented in advance, while construction efficiency and maintenance reliability can also be improved.

Although the southwestern coastal areas of Korea are characterized by widespread soft ground, making ground investigation essential, a lack of necessary technologies and equipment has led to reliance on foreign countries, resulting in outflow of foreign currency and structural dependence on external technology.

Jeonnam Province expects that this project will lay the foundation for technological self-reliance and enable it to secure a leading position in the domestic offshore wind power ground investigation market, which is projected to reach approximately 1.1 trillion KRW for a 30GW capacity.

Through this project, the province plans to develop: ▲ stable investigation technologies for environments with significant wave heights of 2 meters or less; ▲ integrated analysis technologies for geophysical surveys, field tests, and laboratory tests; and ▲ strategies for integrated ground information management. To achieve these goals, an offshore wind power ground investigation testing facility will be established at Mokpo New Port, along with a full-cycle management system and a high-quality certification system based on international standards.

Kang Sanggu, Director of the Energy Industry Bureau of Jeonnam Province, stated, "This project will be a turning point for achieving technological self-reliance and moving away from dependence on foreign countries. We will work to enhance the localization of the domestic offshore wind power supply chain by linking the proven technologies from this project with local companies."