Wind energy – floating wind
RWE and the Ulsan Metropolitan City will cooperate on the development of floating offshore wind projects off the South Korean coast with an envisaged capacity of up to 1.5 gigawatts (GW).
A corresponding Memorandum of Understanding was signed recently between RWE and Ulsan City, in support of South Korea’s Net Zero 2050 ambition. The country’s goal is to scale-up offshore wind capacity up to 12 GW and achieves 30 percent of renewables in the energy production mix by 2030.
Song Chul-ho, Mayor of Ulsan Metropolitan City, explains: “South Korea is transforming its energy mix from nuclear power and coal to renewable energy. Our regional goal is that Ulsan City becomes carbon neutral by 2050. To reach this, we have to harness the good wind resources off the Ulsan coast.”
He continues: “RWE’s extensive international experiences in developing, building and operating offshore wind projects, brings technical and engineering know-how, as well as risk management capabilities that are crucial. The Ulsan region offers a combination of industry-leading shipyards, maritime expertise and port facilities.”
Sven Utermöhlen, CEO Wind Offshore of RWE Renewables, explains: “At RWE we want to further expand our market presence in South Korea – one of the fast growing markets for offshore wind. South Korea’s excellent wind resource in combination with deep waters close to energy demand poses a great opportunity for floating wind.” He adds: “The initiative taken by the Ulsan City is exactly what is needed – for developers like RWE as well as the supply chain to take the significant investment decisions required. Our pioneering work in floating, combined with a 20 years’ track record in offshore wind, ensures that RWE is very well placed to supply green energy from floating offshore wind in close cooperation with regional partners.”
