Five offshore wind developers sign mutual cooperation agreement with fishing communities
Five offshore wind developers sign mutual cooperation agreement with
fishing communities
• The MoU
was signed by Ulsan Suhyup(National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives), the
Ulsan Floating Offshore Wind Power Fishermen’s Countermeasures Committee and
the Ulsan Floating Offshore Wind Association representing five offshore wind developers
• To develop a model for community
cooperation that includes securing local acceptance, strengthening
collaboration to speed up development and minimize the timeline
• Formation and operation of a local
council for cooperation
[April 23, 2024] Five developers
involved in the Ulsan floating offshore wind project site, along with the Ulsan
floating offshore wind power fishermen’s countermeasures committee, and Ulsan
Suhyup, have signed a cooperation agreement, accelerating the construction of
what is anticipated to be the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm
cluster.
On 23rd of April, the parties involved gathered at the Ulsan Chamber of
Commerce and Industry to sign the agreement, which aims to expedite the project
by fostering cooperation throughout all phases of development, including but
not limited to conducting onshore and offshore surveys, acquisition of permits
and approval, securing resident support, construction, operation, and
maintenance. This partnership is expected to minimize development time and
facilitate quicker project progression, generating clean energy from the
offshore wind cluster faster.
A key focus of the agreement is to strengthen
community relations A cooperative model is being developed to solidify this
relationship, which includes engaging stakeholders to gather their insights.
Ulsan Fisheries Cooperative will play a critical
role in the consultation and coordination process between the five offshore
wind developers and the Ulsan Floating Offshore Wind Power Fishermen’s
Countermeasures committee for the success of the Ulsan floating offshore wind
power project and will also actively reflect the interests of other fishermen's
organizations
The Chairperson of Ulsan Floating Offshore Wind Power Fishemen’s
Countermeasures Committee Si Hyan OH said “Our fishermen have been deeply
divided and embroiled in conflicts, but the recent mutual cooperation agreement
provides a foundation to unite them once again. Going forward, we are committed
to actively listening to the fishermen's input and integrating it into our
mutual benefit programs to ensure that we prosper together in a tangible way.”
The chairman of the Ulsan Chamber of Commerce, Yeon Chul LEE said in his
congratulatory speech, “The Countermeasures Committee and the Ulsan Fisheries
Cooperative are working hard to gather stakeholders’ opinions, and the
developers are ensuring that all aspects of the project are well-managed. We
hope that the floating offshore wind industry will stabilize in the local
economy and that Ulsan will emerge as a hub for energy transition.”
The Chairperson of Ulsan Floating Offshore Wind Association (Project
Director for KF Wind) Austin Park expressed optimism that this agreement will
serve as a model for community-focused development and contribute significantly
to the regional economy. He also highlighted the projects’ potential to help
Korea achieve its carbon neutrality goals and strengthen the nation's
industrial competitiveness by providing stable renewable energy to exporting
companies.
The Ulsan floating offshore wind cluster, located about 60-100km east of
Ulsan in Korea’s Exclusive Economic Zone, plans to have a total capacity of up
to 6GW. In April last year, five project developers launched the Ulsan Floating
Offshore Wind Power Council to facilitate smoother cooperation and joined the
Ulsan Chamber of Commerce as special members. The developers, backed by global
companies known for their safety and efficiency, consist of Equinor &
Bandibuli Energy, Ocean Winds and Mainstream Renewable Power & KF Wind-East
Blue Power, CIP & Haewoori Offshore Wind 1,2,3, BadaEnergy & Gray Whale
Offshore Wind Power 1,2,3 and Munmubaram.
Photo) (From left) Project Director of Bandibuli (Equinor) Torgeir Nakken, Representative Director of Haewoori (CIP) Jonathan Spink, Chairperson of Ulsan Floating Offshore Wind Association and Project Director of Korea Floating Wind (Ocean Winds and Mainstream Renewable Power) Austin Park, BadaEnergy Gray Whale Project Ulsan Office Lead Gwon-yeol Yang, Chairperson of Ulsan Chamber of Commerce in Korea (UCCI) Yeon Chul LEE, Chairperson of Ulsan Floating Offshore Wind Power Fishermen’s Countermeasures Committee and Chairperson of Ulsan Suhyup Si Hyan OH, Representative Director of Munmubaram Young Kyu JU, and Co-Chairperson of Ulsan Floating Offshore Wind Power Fishermen’s Countermeasures Committee Soo Man Park are taking a commemorative photo after signing the MOU.