Doosan Unveils 8MW Offshore Wind Turbine, South Korea's Largest

Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction has unveiled South Korea's largest offshore wind turbine, a 232.5 meters tall giant with a capacity of 8MW.

Doosan said Thursday it had completed the implementation of the 8MW offshore wind turbine prototype at the Korea Wind Power Demonstration Center, which is located in Baeksu, Yeonggwang of South Jeolla Province. 

The commissioning process will start at the end of January, after which international certification for the wind turbine will be obtained and final preparations for commercialization will be completed in June.

The 8MW offshore wind turbine features a 100-meter long and 130-meter high tower, and has a total height of 232.5 meters. 

This makes the turbine nearly as tall as the N Seoul Tower which stands 236.7 meters tall. 

According to Doosan, the turbine, designed to be suitable for Korea’s low-wind speeds, has the capacity to produce 8MW of power where winds blow at a speed of 11m/s and shows a utilization rate of 30 percent or higher even when the average wind speed is 6.5m/s.

"Doosan applied the gearless direct drive-type generator to the 8MW wind turbine. This type of system has the advantage of providing higher structural stability and energy efficiency, owing to the simplified power transmission system, and lower maintenance costs," the company said.

“We have been working on developing a model that is specially designed to suit the conditions of the Korean wind environment, a typhoon-prone region that has an average wind speed that is comparatively lower than Europe.  By adding this large-capacity 8MW model to our existing models that include the 3MW and 5.5MW wind turbines, we have effectively expanded our product line-up,” said Hongook Park, CEO of Doosan Heavy’s Power Services Business Group.  

He added_ “By working together with the local wind power companies, we plan to increase the local manufacturing of parts, which is currently in the 70 percent range or higher, to an even higher percentage and will seek to contribute to the promotion of the domestic wind power ecosystem.”

Last month the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy designated the offshore wind farm in Korea’s southwestern region as the country’s first new and renewable energy cluster complex. 

"In line with the efforts for expansion of offshore wind power, which included construction of the Southwest Demonstration Wind Farm (400MW) in North Jeolla Province, Doosan Heavy has been working on the development of the 8MW wind turbine, one that is optimally designed to suit Korea’s wind conditions," Doosan said,

Doosan Heavy said Thursday it had been preparing for the growing number of offshore wind turbine orders in the domestic market by taking measures like building a second wind turbine shop at its Changwon headquarters and securing additional manpower last year. The company also signed a supplier agreement last year to provide equipment for the 100MW Jeju Hallim Offshore Wind Farm, which is Korea’s largest offshore wind farm to date.

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