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Equinor eyes up new 800 MW floater in South Korea

By: Bridget Randall-Smith 03/07/2020 Equinor

General Windfarms

Equinor has started conducting wind measurements to investigate the possibility of constructing an 800 MW floating offshore wind project off the coast of Ulsan in South Korea.

Two floating wind speed measurement installations utilising light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology have been deployed into the East Sea from Ulsan to conduct metocean data measurements, marking an important milestone for a potential 800 MW floating offshore wind project.

The LiDAR buoys delivered by RPS will be moored some 80 km out to sea, collecting wind and wave data to determine the resource viability.

“We are pleased to see the floating LiDARS being deployed. The data gathered through this feasibility study will be important to determine the way forward for the project. To get there we are looking forward to collaborating with all our partners as we see strong potential in developing floating offshore wind in South Korea,” says Country Office Manager for South Korea, JacquesEtienne Michel.

According to Equinor, the 800 MW project, dubbed Firefly, will feature a semi-submersible concept with onshore construction estimated to start in late 2026 and offshore construction in 2028. Equinor is seeking additional partners to join the project.

The 800 MW site is also in the vicinity of Equinor's first offshore wind project in South Korea, Donghae-1, which has a capacity of 200 MW and will recycle an offshore gas substation, its jacket foundation, and subsea pipes. The Donghae-1 project will also feature semi-submersible foundations with offshore construction expected in end-2025/early-2026.

Equinor already has a presence in South Korea and established its first office in 2014. A new office in Busan was also opened in Q4 2019. Activities to date have largely focused on the construction of the vast platforms and vessels used to find, produce and transport oil and gas including: topsides for the Mariner and Aasta Hansteen platforms, the Aasta Hansteen hull, two Category-J rigs, two platforms for Johan Sverdrup.

As South Korea begins to transform its energy mix from nuclear power and coal to renewable energy, Equinor is investigating the "large potential within offshore wind". The company's plans include 2 GW of floating and 1 GW of fixed offshore wind capacity to be underway by 2030 and Equinor is also looking to expand its portfolio into floating solar and hydrogen.

The share of renewable energy in power production in South Korea is estimated to increase to 20% by 2030; aiming to add 49GW to its renewable production capacity by 2030, of which solar power accounts for 36,5GW and wind power 17,7GW.

“Equinor has set a clear target that by 2035 we will increase our renewable capacity installed by 30 times from today. We are stepping up to become a global offshore wind major, and we see strong potential for offshore wind in South Korea, a country we consider to be an important market for floating offshore wind going forward", added Michel.

For more information on offshore wind farms worldwide, click here.

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Equinor eyes up new 800 MW floater in South Korea

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