- Over 400 attended, including leading experts in floating offshore wind, along with key supply chain companies
- Strong interest in innovative technology partnerships from key Korean companies such as Samsung Heavy Industries, POSCO E&C, and Doosan Enerbility
- The Bandibuli Floating Offshore Wind Project will support local supply chain development, technology transfer, and strengthens global competitiveness
Bandibuli Energy Co. (100% owner by broad energy company Equinor), successfully hosted the 2024 Floating Offshore Wind Technology Symposium at GS Tower, Seoul. The event attracted over 400 attendees, showcasing significant interest in Korea’s role in the global floating offshore wind market.
The symposium began with opening remarks by Torgeir Nakken, followed by speeches from Norwegian Ambassador Anne Kari Hansen Ovind and Tae-Sik Lee, Chairman of the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies.
The symposium focused on fostering technical collaboration to support the successful development of the Bandibuli Floating Offshore Wind Project in Ulsan, which is set to become one of the world’s largest floating offshore wind farms, with a capacity of 750MW. Equinor shared valuable insights from its global projects, such as Hywind Scotland (30MW) and Hywind Tampen (88MW), reinforcing Korea’s potential to become a global hub for floating offshore wind technology.
Torgeir Nakken, Project Director of Bandibuli Energy, opened the event by stating “It is important to transfer technology and create investment opportunities for Korean companies, this will play a crucial role in enhancing the global competitiveness of Korea’s offshore wind industry”. Bjørn Inge Braathen, Country Managing Director of Equinor Korea echoed this sentiment in his welcoming speech, remarking, “Korea’s demand for renewable energy is steadily increasing, driven by high power consumption and RE100 commitments.” He also added that “the government’s 8GW tender plan over the next three years will stimulate technology development and investment in the sector”.
During his presentation on the outlook for the floating offshore wind market, Do-Hyun Park, Deputy Project Director of Bandibuli Energy, stated “According to the 2024 Global Offshore Wind Annual Market Report by ERM, the global market is expected to grow to 481GW, with Korea anticipated to capture 14GW, positioning it as a major player alongside the UK (48GW) and the US (64GW)." He also highlighted that “The Bandibuli project offers Korea a significant opportunity to take the lead in the floating offshore wind sector, by leveraging its shipbuilding infrastructure and supply chain to enhance global competitiveness. This will play a significant role in stabilising construction and project costs, as well as the LCOE for future floating offshore wind projects.”
The afternoon session featured presentations from key Korean companies involved in the Bandibuli project, including Samsung Heavy Industries, POSCO E&C, and Doosan Enerbility. These companies showcased innovative solutions in floating platforms, onshore construction, and large turbine technology, which garnered strong interest from the attendees.
The event concluded with a panel discussion on the activation of the domestic supply chain for floating offshore wind. Industry leaders discussed Korea’s potential to become a global hub for offshore wind technology, with deep discussions on innovation and market strategies. Experts from Samsung, POSCO, Doosan, and other key players participated in this engaging dialogue.
