Four Korean companies including HJ Heavy Industries, J-Ocean Heavy Industries, Myeongun Industrial Development, and turbine manufacturing company Unison signed an agreement to transform part of the Gunsan shipyard into a marine wind energy production center. This project, which is set to be implemented on the western coast of South Korea, is dedicated to the production of large turbines, towers, and marine infrastructure stations.
Project Details and Objectives
The project will utilize approximately 330,000 square meters of unused shipyard land to create a manufacturing cluster that responds to the growing marine wind energy industry in South Korea. Under this agreement, Unison plans to lease part of this site and establish a facility for the production of large marine wind energy turbines. This factory is set to produce 10-megawatt turbines developed through a Korean research program, as well as 13.6-megawatt and 16-megawatt models that incorporate foreign technologies.
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Collaboration of Companies and Future Clients
HJ Heavy Industries, with its expertise in shipbuilding and marine engineering, will contribute to creating manufacturing capabilities for turbine towers, marine infrastructure stations, and other structures. J-Ocean Heavy Industries will also provide shipbuilding infrastructure and manufacturing facilities, while Myeongun Industrial Development will add its expertise in developing marine wind energy projects to this collaboration.
The planned production center also has a potential client in the Hanbit marine wind energy project with a capacity of 340 megawatts. Unison intends to produce 25 turbines with a capacity of 13.6 megawatts for this project, which is set to be located on the southwestern coast of South Korea. The Hanbit project aims to commence construction in July 2027 and be completed by December 2029.
The Gunsan facility is part of Unison's broader plan to establish an annual production capacity of one gigawatt of turbines. This initiative seeks to create a domestic supply chain for large marine wind energy equipment, while South Korea aims for a target of 25 gigawatts of installed marine wind energy capacity by 2035.
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