On the 22nd, GS Group's offshore wind power substructure manufacturer GS Entec announced the completion of the delivery of 50 monopiles for the 'Yeonggwang Nakwol Offshore Wind Project.'
Monopiles are cylindrical structures made by welding large steel plates, serving as supports to fix offshore wind turbines to the seabed.
Previously, GS Entec signed a contract worth approximately 200 billion won to supply all 64 monopiles to be used in the Yeonggwang Nakwol project by the end of 2023. The remaining quantity is planned to be delivered by October.
The Yeonggwang Nakwol Project is a project to establish a large-scale offshore wind power complex in the waters near Nakwol-myeon, Yeonggwang-gun, Jeollanam-do. The facility capacity of this complex is 365 MW, with 64 wind turbines of 5.7 MW (megawatts) planned for that area.
GS Entec explained that this project delivery is the first case of supplying all domestic monopiles for a large-scale offshore wind power complex of over 100 MW.
GS Entec is investing a total of 300 billion won to introduce the latest automated equipment from 'Siemens,' the world's leading offshore wind substructure company based in the Netherlands. Once the facility construction is completed in the first half of next year, production capacity is expected to double compared to the current level.
Through this, there are plans to expand the supply of domestic monopiles for projects such as the 344 MW Hanbit offshore wind project, scheduled to begin construction in Korea in 2027.
An official from GS Entec stated, 'We have sufficiently verified our monopile manufacturing technology and delivery capabilities through the Yeonggwang Nakwol project,' and added, 'As we have proactively invested in equipment upgrades and technology, we will establish ourselves as a global key partner by expanding our local projects, including the Hanbit offshore wind project, as well as exports.'
Meanwhile, GS Entec was established in 1988, initially engaged in the manufacture of chemical equipment for refining and petrochemical plants, and was acquired by GS Global in 2010. Since the 2020s, it has been actively promoting a transition to new businesses, such as offshore wind power, in accordance with GS Group's eco-friendly future strategy.