Wind power is a form of renewable energy in South Korea with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) and particulate matter (PM) emissions caused by coal based power. [1] After two oil crises dating back to the 1970s, the South Korean government needed to transition to renewable energy, which encouraged their first renewable energy law in 1987. [2]
As of 2015 wind power capacity in South Korea was 835 MW and the wind energy share of total electricity consumption was far below 0,1%. In 2019, South Korea led an initiative in creating energy transition policies, which incorporated wind power along with de-fossil and de-nuclear in the Renewable Energy 2030 Plan. [1]
With wind power being the fastest growing power source in South Korea, [3] the Korean government's plan was to invest $8.2 billion into offshore wind farms in order to increase the total capacity to 2.5 GW until 2019. [4] In April 2020, the government announced the “Korean Green New Deal” which includes plans to drastically increase wind power through the expansion of domestic wind power facilities to include 8 MW offshore wind turbines by 2022 and floating offshore wind systems by 2025. [3]
Most wind farms are in the province of Gangwon and Jeju Island because they have mountainous areas with high winds with speeds above 7.5 m/s. [5] Compared to these mountainous areas, the city of Seoul has a much lower wind speed, as its highest average wind speed is 2.85 m/s. [5]
There are economic and usage limitations that inhibit the widespread use of wind power. [5] The cost of wind energy is higher than that of conventional energy sources. Many wind farm owners are not satisfied with the service of large manufacturing companies like Vestas US for its high cost. [5] Vestas, a turbine manufacturer, holds a 42.2% market share in the Korean wind energy industry. [5] Shifting the reliance on large corporate manufacturers to local turbine manufacturers may help reduce costs. [5] There are also costs to transmitting energy from offshore wind farms to destinations. [5] Since wind is not a consistent source of energy and can be affected by climate conditions, wind powered systems need to be accompanied by other energy sources to provide uninterrupted power supply. [5]
The Singapore-based subsea engineering company, G8, received approval to build a 1.5GW offshore wind farm in late December 2021. The project is planned to be built off the south-west tip of South Korea with the build site having recorded wind speeds of 7–8 m/s. Current plans are to begin construction, as well as marine works in 2023 or 2024. The project also involves the use of an advanced, long-life lithium ion energy storage system from 3DOM, a technology partner of G8. [6]
The Firefly Floating Wind Farm Project, which is under development by Equinor South Korea, is part of the Ulsan floating offshore wind project. A memorandum of understanding was signed between Equinor and Ulsan City in May 2019, entailing the two 75 square kilometer areas 800 MW wind farm offshore of Ulsan. The wind farm will include “Wind Semis” as the floating structure, characterized by a semi-submersible foundation allowing for the floatation of the turbines compared to bottom-fixed turbines. [7]
Two LiDAR buoys were placed in the East Sea of Ulsan serving to collect measurements of wind and wave for a year in 2020 to investigate the possibility of the development and construction of the wind farm in the coat of Ulsan. [8] This was followed after the signing of MoU between the Ulsan and Equinor. The goal expected to be met by the creation of these wind farms is to increase South Korea's renewable energy by 30 times by the year 2035.
Data was collected for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) starting in December 2021 for a period of 12 months. This data includes data on marine animals, fish, seawater, and the quality of sediment among other data to note any potential impacts that can be caused by the building and running of the Firefly wind farms. The report was completed and published at the beginning half of the year 2022.
Havfram was appointed to study the transport, installation and supplying of necessary cables and systems offshore for the windshore project by Equinor in March 2022. [9]
Technip Energies was selected in April 2022 to conduct a Front-End Engineering Design, [10] or FEED, of the wind turbines for the floating project Technip Energies plants to include the use of their INO15™ technology, with a 15 MG capacity. [10] A Denmark-based company, COWI, has been appointed as Owner's Engineer by Equinor in November 2022 for the Firefly wind project. This will include management and engineering services to Equinor. The contract will continue for the period of the Firefly offshore wind project. [11]
South Korea's Geoview was also selected in early 2022 for the task of surveying and mapping the subsea geophysical of the wind site. As of December 5, 2022, Geoview has completed the surveying for marine geophysical exploration in Ulsan through the use of its marine vessel Geoview No 1 [12] to obtain seabed topography of mapping of the area.
In November 2022 the two companies Hanwha Engineering and Construction (Hanwha E&C) and Equinor signed a Memorandum of understanding. This MoU entailing the two companies will work together in the building of offshore forms that Hanwha E&C has been appointed to build. [13]
Building projects from the company are expected to be built in Shinhan, Goheung, and Yeonggwang in South Jeolla, Boryeon in South Chungcheong including the regions of Yeongcheon and Yeongwol. Similar to the Gray Whale 3 Project the Shinhan project will be set up in phases and expected to be completed in 2030. It is estimated that the 8.2 GW Shinan wind farm can provide for the populations of both Seoul and Incheon and is a part of South Korea's former President Moon Jae-In's Green New Deal.
As of September 6, 2022, Corio Generation and TotalEnergies joined SK Ecoplant to expand the BadaEnergy in the provinces of South Jeolla and the coasts of Ulsan. The BadaEnergy will include the addition of 2GW wind farms, both floating and fixed bottom off-shore. This also consists of the Gray Whale 1.5 GW three-phase Project floating project, which is anticipated to be the most extensive floating offshore provision. Among the other projects obtained through the stake are the 500 MW Jindo and 500 MW Geomundo in South Korea. The partnership is expected to create jobs for the country and supply green energy at a competitive price through the development of 504 MW wind farms. This wind farm is to be South Korea's first commercial floating farm.
With this partnership, SK Ecoplant will assist its partners with organizing, licensing, and construction. [14] Of the BadaEnergy portfolio, four of the five projects have received electric business licenses (EBLs) from the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy's Electricity Regulatory Commission. [15] This license requires the project's completion of the commissioning of electrical installation and generation business within the period stated within the permit. With the development rights of the majority of the projects obtained the partners are advancing the first commercial operation day by 2027.
Donghae Gray Whale 3 consists of one of the projects that will be completed due to the association between Corio and Total Energies expected to have a capacity of 1.5 GW. This project was named after Okhotsk-Korean Gray Whale, to symbolize South Korea's hope to reinstate the environment in hopes of the gray whales return to Korea. [16] This project will be built 70 kilometers from the coast of Ulsan consisting of floating offshore wind farms, at a depth of 150 meters. The projects will have a capacity of around 500 MW and id expected to be functioning by the end of 2026[3].
A consortium of DORIS and Hyundai Heavy Industries has been appointed as the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) by Corio and Total Energies for the Gray Whale Project. [17] The design and installation of the turbines are a few of the tasks that will be entrusted to the consortium. The association plans on improving the Hi-Float design to be able to harbor Tecnip Energies' in-house floater technology INO15, which will also be used for this project. Technnip alongside Subsea 7, and Samkang M&T undertook the studying of engineering in August 2022 for the floating offshore wind project.
In November 2020, Bureau Veritas alongside Korean Register (KR) was designated to lead the certification of the project. This includes the evaluations of the project's design manufacturing and operations among other assessments needed for the completion of the wind farm. The certifications are needed to ensure the project is running in accordance with both domestic and international standards.
The South Korean government's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy promulgated “The 9th Basic Plan for Power Demand and Supply” (commonly known as the "Korean New Green Deal") in 2020, which includes plans to increase wind power from "1,834 MW in 2020 to 17,679 MW by 2030 and 24,874 MW by 2034." [3] Development has slowed in some areas due to resistance from local residents. [3] [1]
Installed wind power capacity in South Korea and generation in recent years is shown in the table below: [18]
| Year | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity (MW) | 65.7 | 183.6 | 190.0 | 192.7 | 298.0 | 333.3 | 366.7 | 418.7 | 491.5 | 583.4 | 644.7 | 852.5 | 1,034.6 | 1,143 |
| Generation (GW·h) | 47.4 | 129.8 | 238.9 | 375.6 | 436.0 | 685.3 | 816.9 | 862.8 | 912.7 | 1,148.1 | 1,145.5 | 1,342.4 | 1,683.1 | 2,169 |
The United Kingdom is the best location for wind power in Europe and one of the best in the world. The combination of long coastline, shallow water and strong winds make offshore wind unusually effective.
Wind power in California had initiative and early development during Governor Jerry Brown's first two terms in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The state's wind power capacity has grown by nearly 350% since 2001, when it was less than 1,700 MW. In 2016, wind energy supplied about 6.9% of California's total electricity needs, or enough to power more than 1.3 million households. Most of California's wind generation is found in the Tehachapi area of Kern County, California, with some large projects in Solano, Contra Costa and Riverside counties as well. California is among the states with the largest amount of installed wind power capacity. In recent years, California has lagged behind other states when it comes to the installation of wind power. It was ranked 4th overall for wind power electrical generation at the end of 2016 behind Texas, Iowa, and Oklahoma. As of 2019, California had 5,973 megawatts (MW) of wind power generating capacity installed.
Wind power generates about 10% of Turkey's electricity, mainly in the west in the Aegean and Marmara regions, and is gradually becoming a larger share of renewable energy in the country. As of 2024, Turkey has 12 gigawatts (GW) of wind turbines. The Energy Ministry plans to have almost 30 GW by 2035, including 5 GW offshore.
In 2021 France reached a total of 18,676 megawatts (MW) installed wind power capacity placing France at that time as the world's seventh largest wind power nation by installed capacity, behind the United Kingdom and Brazil and ahead of Canada and Italy. According to the IEA the yearly wind production was 20.2 TWh in 2015, representing almost 23% of the 88.4 TWh from renewable sources in France during that year. Wind provided 4.3% of the country's electricity demand in 2015.
A floating wind turbine is an offshore wind turbine mounted on a floating structure that allows the turbine to generate electricity in water depths where fixed-foundation turbines are not feasible. Floating wind farms have the potential to significantly increase the sea area available for offshore wind farms, especially in countries with limited shallow waters, such as Spain, Portugal, Japan, France and the United States' West Coast. Locating wind farms further offshore can also reduce visual pollution, provide better accommodation for fishing and shipping lanes, and reach stronger and more consistent winds.
Wind power is a growing source of electricity in Poland. In 2019, wind was the second most important source of electricity produced in Poland, after coal, accounting for about 10% of the electricity production.
Wind power in Italy, at the end of 2015, consisted of more than 1,847 wind turbines with a total installed capacity of 8,958 megawatts. Wind power contributed 5.4% of Italy electricity generation in 2015 (14,589 GWh). Italy is ranked as the world's tenth producer of wind power as of the end of 2016. Prospects for Italian wind energy beyond 2020 were positive, with several projects planned to go live before 2030.
Offshore wind power or offshore wind energy is the generation of electricity through wind farms in bodies of water, usually at sea. There are higher wind speeds offshore than on land, so offshore farms generate more electricity per amount of capacity installed. Offshore wind farms are also less controversial than those on land, as they have less impact on people and the landscape.
The U.S. state of Massachusetts has vast wind energy resources offshore, as well as significant resources onshore. The 2016 update to the states's Clean Energy and Climate Plan had a goal of reducing 1990 baseline greenhouse gas emissions levels by 25% by 2020. Current goals include installing 3,500 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind power in the state by 2035. However, as of Q4 2021 the state had only 120 MW of wind powered electricity generating capacity, responsible for generating 0.9% of in-state electricity production. The state has awarded contracts to two offshore projects, the 800 MW Vineyard Wind project and 804 MW Mayflower Wind project. Construction began on the Vineyard Wind 1 project on November 18, 2021, after a long fight for approval. Commonwealth Wind was selected for development in 2021, but the developer has attempted to cancel the project due to increased costs. There are eight projects planned for off the southern coast of Massachusetts, though some will deliver power to Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York.
In Japan's electricity sector, wind power generates a small proportion of the country's electricity. It has been estimated that Japan has the potential for 144 gigawatts (GW) for onshore wind and 608 GW of offshore wind capacity. As of 2023, the country had a total installed capacity of 5.2 GW.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm is a group of offshore wind farms under construction 130 to 200 kilometres off the east coast of Yorkshire, England in the North Sea. It is considered to be the world's largest offshore windfarm. It was developed by the Forewind consortium, with three phases envisioned - first phase, second phase and third phase. In 2015, the third phase was abandoned, while the first and second phases were granted consent. It was initially expected that the Dogger Bank development will consist of four offshore wind farms, each with a capacity of up to 1.2 GW, creating a combined capacity of 4.8 GW. As of 2023, a total of 277 turbines are expected to be built and produce a capacity of 3.6 GW, enough to power 6 million homes.
Wind power is a major industry in Taiwan. Taiwan has abundant wind resources however a lack of space on land means that most major developments are offshore. As of February 2020, there were 361 installed onshore turbines and 22 offshore turbines in operation with the total installed capacity of 845.2 MW.
Hywind Scotland is the world's first commercial wind farm using floating wind turbines, situated 29 kilometres (18 mi) off Peterhead, Scotland. The farm has five 6 MW Siemens direct-drive turbines on Hywind floating monopiles, with a total capacity of 30 MW. It is operated by Hywind (Scotland) Limited, a joint venture of Equinor (75%) and Masdar (25%).
Empire Wind is a proposed utility-scale offshore wind farm on the Outer Continental Shelf Offshore New York. It will be located in Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) lease area OCS-A 0512 in the New York Bight about 15 miles (24 km) south of Jones Beach, Long Island.
Offshore wind power is in the early stages of development in the United States. In 2016, the United States Department of Energy estimated that the country has a gross resource potential of 10,800GW of offshore wind capacity, with a "technical" resource potential of 2,058GW. Offshore wind projects are under development in wind-rich areas of the East Coast, Great Lakes, and Pacific coast. The first commercial offshore wind farm, Block Island Wind Farm, began operation in 2016. As of 2017, about 30 projects totaling 24 gigawatts (GW) of potential installed capacity were being planned.
The United Kingdom became the world leader of offshore wind power generation in October 2008 when it overtook Denmark.
