South Koreans Develop K-Floating Body with Domestic Tech, Get DNV Nod

South Korean SK ecoplant and its compatriot POSCO have announced that their K-Floater, a floating body model for offshore wind power developed with domestic technology, secured basic design certification from DNV.

The K-floating body is a 10 MW semi-submersible floating model which is capable of withstanding a typhoon of about 40 metres per second that occurs once every 50 years, said the partners.

The model is also recognised for maintaining structural and functional stability even in extreme sea environments such as currents of 2 metres per second and 10-metre high waves, according to developers.

This stability is considered to be the same level of technological maturity (TRL5) as that of advanced companies abroad such as those in Europe that have already developed their own floaters, SK ecoplant and POSCO said.

The K-floating body was developed with purely domestic technology and does not require overseas licensing fees, according to the companies.

SK ecoplant explained that the floaters were designed in a columnar shape to increase floating power and facilitate transportation and installation in domestic environments, and were designed to optimise weight while maintaining kinetic performance and structural stability.

SK Ocean Plant, a subsidiary of SK ecoplant, plans to mass-produce and supply K-Float at its new offshore wind production plant in Goseong, Gangwon Province, in South Korea.

In 2021, SK ecoplant and POSCO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop a new floating offshore wind foundation.

According to the companies, they plan to use the floating substructures in SK ecoplant’s 136 MW offshore wind farm project off the southeastern coast of Ulsan.

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