"Korean Company Revives Ruins into Eco-Friendly City... How the UK Became an Offshore Wind Powerhouse [Learning Offshore Wind from the UK] ②"

SeAH Wind UK Subsidiary Nears Completion of Factory Construction
Up to 200 Monopiles to Be Produced Annually
2,250 Jobs Created During Construction Period
Tees Valley Transforms into an Eco-Friendly City
Collaboration with Overseas Companies Essential for Offshore Wind Expansion in Korea
Economic Contribution Rises; Operation and Maintenance Must Also Be Localized

A panoramic view of SeAH Wind, the UK subsidiary of SeAH Steel. As of June 2025, the construction progress is at 99%, with completion imminent. Photo by Kang Heejong

On June 25, after a two-hour train ride from London followed by an additional hour by bus, we arrived in Tees Valley, a coastal city in northeastern England. This area, which had remained desolate after SSI Steel, once the second-largest steelmaker in Europe, closed down in 2015, is now transforming into an eco-friendly city as offshore wind supply chain companies gradually move in.

The company leading this change is SeAH Wind, a Korean firm. As a UK subsidiary of SeAH Steel, SeAH Wind specializes in manufacturing offshore wind substructures.

The SeAH Wind Tees Valley factory we visited that day was in its final stages, with 99% of construction completed. The SeAH Wind plant, situated on a 90-acre site?equivalent to the size of 30 football fields?stretches 800 meters in length, boasting a massive scale that is difficult to take in at a glance.

At this site, SeAH Wind plans to produce up to 200 monopiles annually to supply offshore wind farms in the North Sea. Each monopile measures 120 meters in height and 50 meters in diameter, weighing several thousand tons. Tees Valley upgraded its port facilities to support such heavy loads. As a result, other offshore wind equipment companies are also flocking to Tees Valley.

On the quay in front of SeAH Wind that day, components for offshore wind towers to be installed by GE Renewable Energy were stacked high. A Tees Valley city official who guided us explained, "Since the establishment of the SeAH Wind factory and the construction of the offshore wind installation port, other global companies have also decided to invest one after another."

"Global Company Investment Revives Local Economy"

The UK is actively encouraging foreign investment to foster its offshore wind industry and has been successfully advancing its energy transition. Alec Brown, Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland in the Tees Valley region, cited "global partnerships" as one of the main reasons the area has been able to reinvent itself as a forward base for the offshore wind supply chain.

The UK sources key components such as turbines from other European countries or the United States. Overseas developers like Orsted and Equinor are also actively participating in projects. For example, in the northeastern coastal region, France’s EDF operates the Teesside offshore wind farm with a capacity of 62 megawatts (MW). The Dogger Bank offshore wind farm, the largest in the world with a capacity of 3.6 GW, is being jointly developed by the UK’s SSE, Norway’s Equinor, and Vargronn.

Alec Brown, Redcar and Cleveland Mayor (far left in the photo), is explaining to the Korean press delegation about offshore wind supply chain companies in the Tees Valley area. (June 25, 2025) Photo by Kang Heejong

Rather than blocking the entry of foreign companies, the UK has implemented policies to stimulate local investment and employment, thereby revitalizing the regional economy. Michael Kendall, a manager at Tees Valley city, explained, "We had no reservations about accepting investment from foreign companies because it allowed us to create new jobs."

During construction, SeAH Wind created 2,250 jobs, in addition to 1,500 new supply chain positions. For the Dogger Bank project, US-based GE and local companies are collaborating to supply equipment. GE is also recruiting apprentices from the local Redcar and Cleveland College.

As investments from offshore wind supply chain companies revitalized the local economy and increased employment, public acceptance among residents naturally followed. Tees Valley city reinvested an additional 5 million pounds (about 9.2 billion won) in extra tax revenue back into the community.

As the UK aggressively expands offshore wind, Chinese companies are also seeking to enter the market. Locally, there are mixed opinions about this. Michael Kendall noted, "For the past year, Chinese turbine and cable companies have shown interest, but there are moves to keep them in check for security reasons. Korean companies, however, are welcome."

"Localization of Operation and Maintenance Is Essential"

In Korea, it is pointed out that in order to rapidly deploy offshore wind, the domestic supply chain should be utilized as much as possible, but collaboration with foreign companies is necessary to fill the gaps. In Korea, there is sufficient competitiveness in offshore wind substructures such as monopiles, jackets, and floating foundations, as well as cables, but there is a lack of supply capability for nacelles, blades, and turbines.

For turbines, Doosan Enerbility and Unison have commercialized 8 MW-class models, but globally, there is a trend toward preferring larger turbines of 15 MW or more to achieve economies of scale and reduce investment costs. Doosan Enerbility’s annual production capacity is only 240 MW, which is insufficient to meet domestic demand.

Kim Eunsung, Vice President of Next, said, "Looking at past cases, it is unlikely that a 15 MW-class domestic turbine system will be commercialized by 2030. The most effective strategy is to establish joint ventures with foreign companies to address supply shortages and pursue technology transfer."

The UK has emerged as a leader in offshore wind even without domestic turbine brands. Similarly, Japan, which also lacks its own turbine brand, is working to localize wind power equipment by attracting a US GE Vernova factory and encouraging cooperation with domestic companies and technology partners.

Experts emphasize that even if Korea collaborates with foreign companies, it is essential to localize operation and maintenance (O&M), which has a high contribution to the local economy. Kim Beomseok, professor of wind engineering at Jeju National University, said, "O&M has significant benefits for energy security, local investment, and job creation, and is expected to provide long-term benefits for over 20 years. Therefore, specialized training support is needed to strengthen the capabilities of domestic companies."

* This article was produced with the support of the Journalists Association of Korea and Next.