GE and Hyundai Electric link for South Korea supersize offshore wind turbines
OEM giant and unit of Hyundai Heavy Industries aim for 'differentiated competitiveness' under deal that could include nacelle plant
GE Renewable Energy has signed a deal to work with Hyundai Electric to develop and commercialise turbines of up to 15MW for the South Korean offshore wind market, with plans that include a nacelle assembly plant in the Asian nation.
The US-owned wind OEM and Hyundai Electric, a unit of Hyundai Heavy Industries, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Wednesday.
Reports cited by Hyundai Electric said the partners would work on turbines of 12-15MW “optimised for Korea’s geographical and environmental characteristics”.
GE Renewable Energy already has one of the world’s most powerful wind turbines in the shape of its Haliade-X, which will be deployed at giant projects off Europe and the US with ratings up to 14MW.
“An MoU between our two companies outlines initial plans for the establishment of a nacelle assembly factory in South Korea for assembling Haliade-X turbines. The detailed timeline of any industrial development will depend on the volume of customers’ orders and their specific projects timing.”
South Korean ambition
South Korea’s government has ambitions to deploy 12GW of projects in its waters by 2030, with a mix of fixed-bottom and floating capacity.
A tie-up between Hyundai and GE would bring a second major South Korean group back into the offshore wind turbine sector.
Both companies were early movers in the global offshore wind sector in the last decade, but lost momentum in the face of intense competition and slow movement in their domestic market.