The government has launched a planned siting procedure in which it takes the lead from offshore wind site discovery through resident consultation, developer selection, and licensing. The project will proceed in the following order: preliminary zone designation, basic design establishment and public-private consultative body operation, development zone designation, developer selection, implementation plan approval, construction start, and completion.
Prime Minister Han Seung-soo chaired the first Offshore Wind Power Committee at the Government Seoul Office on the 2nd. The committee deliberated and resolved on major offshore wind promotion achievements, the introduction of planned siting procedures, and committee operating rules.
In the first stage, preliminary zones will be discovered by reviewing wind resources, environment, fishing activities, maritime traffic, and military operations based on 301 marine spatial information and regulations contained in the offshore wind site information system. The government has set a target to designate preliminary zones totaling 25GW by 2031, and will pursue the designation of the first preliminary zones of approximately 2 to 3GW by December of this year.
Once preliminary zones are determined, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment will prepare a basic design that includes the layout and capacity of power generation facilities, power grid connection methods, major infrastructure, and plans to secure environmental soundness and public acceptance. Local governments will establish public-private consultative bodies comprising resident representatives, fishing industry organizations, relevant experts, and resident representatives from transmission line corridors to consult on the basic design, development zone designation, resident participation benefit-sharing, and measures to revitalize fisheries and the local economy.
After basic design, environmental review, and public-private consultative body consultation are completed, the development zone will be designated through deliberation and resolution by the Offshore Wind Power Committee, and developers will be selected through competitive procedures. The selected developer will be responsible for design, construction, and operation. In the implementation plan approval stage, 42 licensing matters under 28 relevant laws will be processed as consolidated matters.
The government plans to connect approximately 20GW of the volume secured through planned siting procedures to competitive auctions for development zones, thereby expanding the cumulative offshore wind supply by 2040 to 45GW. Offshore wind supply through planned siting procedures is expected to begin as early as 2033.
Original Korean article: VeganNews
