The government and private sector invested nearly 54 billion won to develop offshore wind turbines suited to Korea's weaker winds, yet of 19 offshore wind projects selected through competitive auctions over the past five years, 12 adopted foreign turbines. Many of these are mega-sized turbines rated 14 to 15 megawatts. Experts say the government should verify whether the research and development achievements are being properly utilized and whether turbine upsizing is economically justified.
According to materials submitted to the National Assembly's Environment & Labor Cmte by Rep. Lee Heon-seung of the People Power Party on October 6, of 19 offshore wind projects selected in competitive auctions from 2022 to 2026, 8 adopted foreign turbines outright, while 4 adopted "technology cooperation type localization" in which foreign turbines are assembled domestically. Only 7 projects applied domestic turbines.
Weaker winds in Korean waters
Korean waters experience weaker winds than the North Sea in Europe, where offshore wind energy is well developed. A 2019 World Bank offshore wind report found that most European offshore wind development occurs in areas with wind speeds exceeding 8 to 9 meters per second. The average annual wind speed along Korea's coast is generally 6.5 to 7 meters per second.
Taking this into account, the government spent a total of 53.96 billion won from 2018 to 2022 jointly with private companies to develop an 8-megawatt low-wind-speed offshore wind turbine. Rather than arbitrarily increasing the turbine's maximum output, the design featured larger blades to generate more electricity even in weak winds.
Research results showed that the capacity factor of the domestic 8-megawatt turbine in Korea's target wind speed range of 6.5 to 9 meters per second exceeded those of comparable overseas models such as GE's 12-megawatt, Siemens' 8-megawatt, and Vestas' 10-megawatt turbines. This meant that in Korea's weak-wind environment, the domestic turbine had superior power generation efficiency compared to larger foreign turbines.
Foreign mega-turbines selected instead
However, subsequent projects have repeatedly adopted foreign mega-sized turbines. Wando's Geumil and Geumil 2, and Sinan's Ui are planned to use 15-megawatt foreign turbines, while Yeonggwang's Anma and Anma 2 will use 14-megawatt turbines, and Taean will use a 13.88-megawatt foreign turbine.
The issue is that larger turbine capacity does not necessarily mean more electricity is generated more cheaply in Korean waters. Actual power generation depends not only on wind strength but also on blade size, turbine characteristics, and capacity factor. When assessing economic viability, turbine price, substructure, installation vessels, and maintenance costs must all be considered together.
Moreover, domestic companies' commercial turbines are still mainly in the 8 to 10-megawatt range. Concerns are growing that if the government pursues projects focused on larger turbines, dependence on foreign turbines will increase.
Risk of growing foreign dependence
As foreign turbines increase, even if offshore wind deployment expands, domestic companies will find it difficult to accumulate production, installation, and maintenance experience. The likelihood of relying on foreign companies for long-term maintenance also grows.
Yet the government's policy direction remains focused on upsizing. In December 2025, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced in its "Offshore Wind Infrastructure Expansion and Supply Plan" that it would pursue development of 20-megawatt domestic turbines. The detailed plan includes development of turbines rated 20 megawatts and above, as well as technology cooperation with overseas turbine manufacturers on 15-megawatt models.
Rep. Lee Heon-seung said, "Korean waters are not as windy as the North Sea in Europe, yet government policy is moving toward building larger turbines following Europe's lead. We must first verify which turbines can produce the most electricity at the lowest cost in our waters, and then reexamine the direction of offshore wind policy to match Korea's wind conditions."
Original Korean article: sisajournal.com
English brief by Korea Wind Intelligence, koreawindintel.com
