Doosan Heavy installs 8MW offshore wind turbine in South Korea

Standing 232.5 metres high, it is the country’s largest wind turbine to date. 

Doosan Heavy Industries & Corporation completed the installation of the 8-megawatt (MW) and largest offshore wind turbine prototype in the country at the Korea Wind Power Demonstrations Center.

In a statement, Doosan said the turbine, located in Baeksu, Yeonggwang of South Jeolla Province, have 100-meters long blades and a 130 metres-high tower, with a total height of 232.5 metres. The turbine is nearly as tall as the N Seoul Tower which is 236.7 metres tall.

It produces 8MW of power with wind blows speed of 11 metre per second (m/s) and has a 30% or higher utilisation rate when the average wind speed is at 6.5 m/s.

The company said it applied the gearless direct drive-type generator to the wind turbine, providing it “ higher structural stability and energy efficiency” due to the simplified power transmission system and lower maintenance costs.

“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,” Hongook Park, CEO of Doosan Heavy’s Power Services Business Group, said.

“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 promotion of the domestic wind power ecosystem,” the CEO added.

Doosan Heavy said the wind turbine was a cooperation project led by the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning since 2018.

The commissioning process of the project started end-January, and will be followed by the obtaining of international certification for the wind turbine. Final preparations for commercialisation will be completed in June.