Hyundai E&C and Hyundai Steel Industries Accelerate Carbon-Neutral Energy Business with Korea's First Exclusive Installation Vessel

[ The launching ceremony for Korea's first offshore wind installation vessel, Hyundai Frontier, off the coast of Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do, on June 13 ]

Six years after being designated a national priority, Korea's inaugural offshore wind power installation vessel, the Hyundai Frontier, has set sail boating its majestic 14,000-ton presence. 

On June 13, Hyundai Steel Industries held a ceremony to launch the Hyundai Frontier off the coast of Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do. The ceremony was attended by Hyundai Steel Industries CEO Lee Cheong-hyu, Hyundai E&C Executive Vice President Lee Woo-ho, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's Energy Industry Deputy Minister Cheon Young-gil, Gyeongsangnam-do Vice  Governor for Economic Affairs Kim Byung-kyu, and President of the Korea institute of Technology Evaluation and Planning Kweon Ki-yeoung.

“Hyundai Frontier, the country's sole offshore wind power installation vessel, will become a game changer in the field of offshore wind power construction in Korea,” said Lee Cheong-hyu, CEO of Hyundai Steel Industries. “We will actively strive to contribute to human society by leading the way in the field of offshore wind power to develop renewable energy sources that are the key to life coexisting with nature.”

“I believe that the development of Hyundai Frontier, the first offshore wind power installation ship in Korea, will play a great role in expanding the deployment of offshore wind power in Korea by securing installation stability and dramatically improving time and cost,” said the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's Energy Industry Deputy Minister Cheon Young-gil. “We look forward to successfully completing the construction of Jeju Hallim Offshore Wind Farm, where Hyundai Frontier will be first used after today's launching ceremony and subsequently play a huge role in domestic and international offshore wind power projects.”

The 14,000-ton Hyundai Frontier, measuring 85 meters long, 41 meters wide, and 6.5 meters high, is the first and only offshore wind installation vessel in Korea that can lift, transport, and install offshore wind turbines at sea in a single operation.

Hyundai Frontier is equipped with a Dynamic Position System that maintains accurate positioning in seas with high flow rates and waves, and a jacking system that lifts and stabilizes the hull above the surface of the water, enabling it to work in all subsea terrains. The vessel is also equipped with a 1200-ton ship-integrated crane that can install a 10MW high-performance turbine, and its support legs are extendable up to 100 meters and boom length is 121 meters, allowing it to safely install a turbine 130 meters above the sea surface.

Following the launching ceremony, Hyundai Frontier will begin work on turbine installation at the Hallim Offshore Wind Farm in Jeju.  The Jeju Hallim Offshore Wind Farm is the largest offshore wind farm in Korea where Hyundai E&C is leading the entire project from project discovery, equity investment, financial PF financing, and EPC (engineering, construction, and procurement), with 18 generators of 5.56 MW producing 100 MW of power. Hyundai E&C and Hyundai Steel Industries are currently carrying out core processes such as fabrication and installation of substructures and installation of upper turbines and submarine cables.

Meanwhile, Hyundai Steel Industries, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hyundai E&C, is the only local player that can carry out the entire process of offshore wind farm construction, from manufacturing the substructure of offshore wind turbines, installing power generation equipment, to post-construction maintenance. It operates a 330,000㎡ factory in Gwangyang, Jeollanam-do dedicated to manufacturing large-scale offshore wind power substructures and holds the largest market share of 97% in the offshore wind power substructure manufacturing sector in Korea.

Hyundai E&C has been strengthening its business capabilities through various projects since solidifying its construction track record in the offshore wind power sector by participating in the construction of the Southwest Sea Offshore Wind Farm, the first offshore wind power demonstration complex in Korea. Currently, Hyundai E&C is the only builder in Korea with offshore wind farm construction track record and technology, as well as equipment competitiveness, and has secured the business license for the offshore wind farms in Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do and Goheung, Jeollanam-do, establishing a leading position in the domestic offshore wind power business.

“The two companies aim to bolster Hyundai Motor Group's ESG management initiatives by leveraging their unparalleled technology, robust financial foundation, varied business achievements, and specialized infrastructure to forge powerful synergies in offshore wind power and renewable energy. Their goal is to emerge as global energy frontrunners, proactively addressing the climate change crisis through focused R&D, including the development of a 15 MW-class offshore wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) and the adoption of Europe's advanced “pre-piling method”.