Two South Korean Floating Offshore Wind Projects Receive EIA Approval

August 28, 2024, by Adnan Memija

South Korea’s Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy have approved the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for Hexicon’s MunmuBaram project and Korea Floating Wind’s floating offshore wind project being developed off the coast of Ulsan.

The EIA process, conducted by the MunmuBaram project team, involved a comprehensive examination of potential environmental impacts on both offshore and onshore ecosystems, as well as socioeconomic factors, said Hexicon.

The MunmuBaram project is a 1,125 MW floating offshore wind farm planned approximately 60 kilometres off the coast of Ulsan, in the southeast region of South Korea.

Initially, the wind farm was being developed by Hexicon and Shell, but the Swedish floating wind developer acquired Shell’s 80 per cent stake and became the sole owner of the project.

Once commissioned, MunmuBaram is said to play a crucial role in supporting South Korea’s renewable energy target and providing clean energy to more than 700,000 households.

Korea Floating Wind (KF Wind), owned by Ocean Winds and Mainstream Renewable Power, together with Kumyang Electric Co, is developing a 1,125 MW floating offshore wind project off the coast of Ulsan.

In January 2022, KF Wind launched the EIA for the floating offshore wind farm. In June, the EIA report was submitted to the relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy.

The EIA comprises the first phase, the 375 MW East Blue Power, and the second phase, the 750 MW KF Wind. The scope includes 75 wind turbines and floating foundations, two substations, three submarine export cables of 80 kilometres each, one onshore substation, and the onshore high voltage line of 4.5 kilometres until the interconnection point at Korea Electric Power Corporation’s (KEPCO) Shinonsan onshore substation.

EDP Renewables, which established Ocean Winds together with Engie, and Aker Solutions invested in the development company KF Wind back in 2019, when they joined the founding shareholder WindPower Korea.

At the beginning of that year, KF Wind signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Ulsan to cooperate on the development of floating wind projects and support the industrial development of the Ulsan region to serve as a manufacturing hub for domestic and export offshore wind markets.