‘International Forum of Floating Offshore Wind Farm 2021’

 

lGIG and TotalEnergies shared the progress of Ulsan’s floating offshore wind farm project and cases of cooperation with the local community at the International Forum of Floating Offshore Wind Farm 2021.

lIn a keynote speech video, Julien Pouget, Senior Vice President of the Renewables division at TotalEnergies, stressed the huge potential of Korea's offshore wind power project, such as the offshore wind power capacity to be increased, high expertise and research and development technologies of the Korean shipbuilding and offshore plant industries, and the long-standing partnerships with Korean companies.

lThe 1.5-gigawatt wind farm being developed in Ulsan by GIG and TotalEnergies is expected to become one of the world’s largest floating offshore wind parks if all three phases are completed.

 

(October 7, 2021) – Green Investment Group (GIG), a global leading green energy development and investment company, and TotalEnergies, a broad energy company, announced that they would put a focus of the Ulsan floating offshore wind power project on creating an ecosystem in which they can co-prosper with the local community.

 

At the International Forum of Floating Offshore Wind Farm 2021 held at the Ulsan Exhibition and Convention Center for two days starting October 6, Choi Woo-jin, GIG’s managing director in full charge of Korea’s offshore wind power project, emphasized the importance of creating an ecosystem for co-prosperity with local communities while sharing the progress of Ulsan’s floating offshore wind farm project (project name: Gray Whale I, II, III) and cases of cooperation with the local community.

 

Julien Pouget, Senior Vice President of the Renewables division at TotalEnergies, said in a video as a keynote speaker of the forum: "Korea is working on the development of renewable energies, including 12 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind by 2030. It is very encouraging that the country has tremendous potential with unique set of local competencies, extensive shipbuilding know-how and country’s ambitious R&D programs, which are highly related to offshore wind power. In addition, TotalEnergies has maintained long-established partnerships with Korea’s shipbuilding and heavy industry companies in the oil and gas industry for the past three decades, and the experience will provide a great advantage in promoting offshore wind farm projects in Korea.”

 

The 1.5-gigawatt wind farm being developed in Ulsan by GIG and TotalEnergies is expected to become one of the world’s largest floating offshore wind parks if all three phases are completed. “We plan to expand our collaboration with companies and agencies in Korea through partnerships as we have obtained the EBL of Phase I of the Ulsan floating offshore wind power project last July from the Electricity Regulatory Committee under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the first EBL granted to a floating offshore wind project in Korea, and the development of the project is going forward,” said Choi. He added, “After obtaining the EBL, GIG and TotalEnergies are currently preparing the basic design and a collaboration system with the domestic supply chain. We expect the preparatory procedure for the commencement of Phase I, including the detailed design, will have been completed by the end of 2023 barring any factors for delay in licensing and residents’ acceptance.”

 

Once Phase III is completed, the wind farm will be able to provide clean energy to 1.6 million households. It is also expected to reduce carbon emissions equivalent to the amount of carbon which can be cut by densely planting 30-year-old pine trees on a land 3.6 times the area of Seoul, and create a virtuous cycle in which export-oriented Korean companies can strengthen their international competitiveness based on the clean energy.

 

GIG and TotalEnergies said that they are also striving to nurture talents and experts in the offshore wind power industry, which are key players for carbon neutrality and the transition to green energy. “Early this year, we signed a memorandum of understanding for industry-university cooperation with the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) to foster talents in the floating offshore wind industry. We also started providing lectures to graduate students and granting scholarships to outstanding students. Such efforts to discover local talents are essential for the development of the offshore wind power,” said Choi.

 

GIG and TotalEnergies are focusing mostly on the establishment of a local supply chain for Ulsan's floating offshore wind power project. “With our floating offshore wind power project in Ulsan helping the creation of an omni-directional supply chain for materials, parts, and equipment in the region, we seek to contribute to the revitalization of the shipbuilding and offshore plant industries in Ulsan, which are the most competitive in the world, thereby making Ulsan an outpost for export of floating offshore wind power,” Choi said.

 

“As a broad energy company active in more than 130 countries, producing oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, and electricity, TotalEnergies is concentrating efforts on green transition by making significant changes to achieve ‘Net Zero’ by 2050,” said Pouget. He also added “We are here to be stronger partner again for South Korea in its energy transition. We are convinced that our Korean development will also be the first stone to build the future hub for large wind farm’s EPCI (Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Installation) not only in Korea but in the APAC region.”

 

Marking the third anniversary this year, the International Forum of Floating Offshore Wind Farm 2021 was planned by the Ulsan Metropolitan City and the Korean Wind Energy Industry Association to ensure that Korean manufacturers in the wind energy sector as well as the floating offshore wind power industry can share information on floating offshore wind farm policies and technologies.

 

"In line with the Korean government’s ‘2050 Net Zero’ initiative, Ulsan is implementing policies to promote renewable energies, and as part of the effort, aims to become a city that takes the lead in carbon neutrality by creating a floating offshore wind park,” Ulsan Mayor Song Cheol-ho said on the forum's official website. “With the floating offshore wind power project, Ulsan became the first municipality that was awarded by the Korean government as the ‘Korean New Deal of the Month’ in June of this year. It also expects to reduce 9.3 million tons of carbon emissions and create 210,000 jobs if the 6-gigawatt wind farm is constructed.” 

 

Photo 1) Choi Woo-jin, GIG’s managing director in full charge of Korea’s offshore wind power project, delivered a speech at the International Forum of Floating Offshore Wind Farm 2021.

 

Photo 2) Julien Pouget, Senior Vice President of the Renewables division at TotalEnergies, said in a video as a keynote speaker of the forum.