Gigantic substructures that will support offshore wind turbines stood under gantry cranes, Thursday, at a 410,000-square-meter site of SK oceanplant, a subsidiary of SK ecoplant, in the southeastern coastal county of Goseong, South Gyeongsang Province. Called jackets, the three-legged wind turbine foundations are made with supersized steel pipes from a factory in the yard, which has machines to bend thick and wide steel plates. Inside the factory were workers who were braving the flying sparks to weld these large steel plates. On another 510,000-square-meter site, which is a 15 minute drive from the first yard, an offshore crane that can lift up to 10,000 tons was being prepared for assembly of the upper and lower parts of the jackets. An assembled foundation is up to 100 meters in height and weighs over 2,000 tons. SK oceanplant will export the jackets to Taiwan, which is leading the Asian offshore wind power market. The Korean firm holds a 44 percent share in Taiwan’s jacket market. The company said all of its jackets are made for export. “We are exporting jacket components to Japan, although we do not export end products to the country,” SK oceanplant Executive Vice President Sam Hwang told reporters, adding that the company is also interested in exporting its products to Vietnam and Australia. “We are also tapping the U.S. market to sell our products for wind farms off the coast of Oregon.” SK oceanplant says it will build local factories in the U.S. or Europe, if it finds buyers for its jackets in the regions. “Jacket makers exist in Europe, Southeast Asia and Taiwan, but among the manufacturers in the Far East, we have sold the largest amount, proving our technical skills,” SK oceanplant Chief Strategy Officer Kim Soon-jong said. Although SK oceanplant seeks overseas expansion at this moment, it is also ready to contribute to Korea’s offshore wind power sector. Under construction is a 1.57 million-square-meter site near the other two sites, where the company will produce floating substructures that will be used for offshore wind farms off the coast of Ulsan. The company explained that floating wind turbines generate more electricity than fixed ones do. “The new yard will be the factory of the largest floaters,” Hwang said. SK ecoplant, the parent company of SK oceanplant, is also playing a role in Korea’s transition to RE100, which refers to a global initiative to use renewable resources for all energy. Before visiting the sites, SK ecoplant invited reporters to the Gyeongnam Changwon Green Energy Center, which is filled with facilities for photovoltaic power generation, energy storage systems, hydrogen fuel cells and water electrolysis systems. The center is managed by SK ecoplant’s subsidiary, Changwon SG Energy. Hyundai Minuteness CEO Oh Jung-seok told reporters that his company has been able to satisfy the demands of its foreign clients by using electricity generated from the center. “Our company supplies construction equipment components to Volvo and Clark,” he said. “If we fail to satisfy our clients’ request to use renewable energy, we cannot trade with them.” He added that his company was able to save time and money by using the Green Energy Center’s electricity, instead of building its own power plant using renewable resources. “Apple and German carmakers are asking Korean suppliers to use renewable energy, so SK ecoplant will help Korean exporters survive and overcome difficulties,” SK ecoplant Vice President Oh Seoung-hwan said.   (ICE SEOUL)

Fonte notizia: THE KOREA TIMES