South Korea Favors Domestic Turbines: 689 MW of Offshore Wind Capacity Awarded - Government Applies Security and Supply Chain Assessment for the First Time

Seoul (South Korea) - In the first half of 2025, offshore wind energy projects with a total capacity of 689 megawatts (MW) were awarded in South Korea through the newly established public-led tender market. On September 1, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), together with the Korea Energy Agency (KEA), confirmed the results and informed the successful bidders.

In the newly introduced public segment for fixed-bottom offshore wind turbines, the tender volume was originally set at around 500 MW, according to the Ministry. However, under the guidelines, up to 150 percent of the tendered volume could be awarded—allowing for the selection of 689 MW. All four submitted project sites received awards.

In the general tender segment for private projects, a total volume of approximately 750 MW had been planned. However, no project awards were made in this category, according to the Ministry.

According to reports from South Korean media, the selected offshore wind projects include:

• The 400 MW "Southwest Offshore Wind Power" demonstration complex by KEPCO's Korea Offshore Wind Power
• The 100 MW "Handong-Pyeongdae" project by a consortium led by Dongseo Power
• The 99 MW "Dadaepo" project by Southern Power
• The 80 MW "Aphae" project by a consortium led by Korea Electric Power Technology

With the exception of the Southwest Offshore Wind Power demonstration project, the selected projects are expected to deploy the 10 MW turbine from domestic manufacturer Doosan Enerbility—marking the first commercial-scale deployment of this technology in South Korea.

The tender process was based on the "Offshore Wind Competitive Bidding Roadmap" published in August 2024 and the public tender strategy presented in March 2025. Newly introduced criteria included security and supply chain assessments, aimed at not only accelerating offshore wind deployment but also strengthening industrial competitiveness.

South Korea aims to expand its offshore wind capacity to approximately 14 GW by 2030.

Unawarded capacity from the first half of the year is expected to be retendered in the second half or at a later stage. The second-half tender will be further refined based on industry feedback and improvements to the tendering system.

Source: IWR Online, Sep 09 2025