[Exclusive] 5.6 Billion Won Compensation for Offshore Wind Power... Government Pushes 7 Trillion Won Wind Power Project

High Resident Opposition Due to Noise and Operation Restrictions
"Elderly Fishermen Receive Compensation for Retirement"
Domestic Technology Lacking... 100% of New Generators Imported Last Year
High Cost and Low Efficiency Drawbacks... Regional Concentration Issues Also Present

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] The Seonamhae Offshore Wind Power Demonstration Complex, located about 10 km off the coast of Gushipo Port in Gochang-gun, Jeonbuk Province. This is a 60 MW wind power complex jointly promoted by Korea Electric Power Corporation and six public power corporations, with a project cost of approximately 366.2 billion KRW. Of this, compensation paid to nearby fishermen and residents amounted to 5.6 billion KRW, covering a total of 491 cases. This compensation is due to restrictions on surrounding fishing activities caused by the installation of wind power facilities. Each fishing vessel operating in Gochang and Buan counties received a minimum of 3 million KRW. Those with higher fishing yields sometimes received over 10 million KRW. A resident of Gochang-gun said, "Since many fishermen are elderly, some accepted the project to receive compensation and spend their old age more comfortably." The Seonamhae Offshore Wind Power project plans to gradually expand in three stages: demonstration complex (60 MW), pilot complex (400 MW), and expansion complex (2000 MW). As the project scale increases, the level of compensation also rises.

The government is accelerating wind power development following solar power to promote renewable energy adoption. However, it faces opposition from residents concerned about noise and landscape damage in various locations. Wind power is also criticized for its low efficiency and reliance on overseas equipment. These issues raise concerns that wind power might become the "second solar power."

According to the 'Wind Power Project Priority Promotion Plan' obtained by Asia Economy on the 17th from Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, the government is promoting 21 wind power projects nationwide with a total capacity of 3,300 MW, and the total project cost reaches 7 trillion KRW. Among these, trillion-KRW scale projects include the Anmado Offshore Wind Power (220 MW) in Yeonggwang, Jeonnam, and the Goheung Offshore Wind Power (100 MW), with project costs of 1.1 trillion KRW and 1.5 trillion KRW respectively.

In February, the government launched the Wind Power Promotion Support Group, expressing its determination to accelerate wind power projects by providing close expert support for each project. Due to the large investment scale and high uncertainty, most wind power projects are led by public institutions. However, onshore wind power often faces opposition from local residents due to noise, vibration damage, landscape destruction, and environmental impact issues. Offshore wind power also encounters conflicts of interest, such as reduced fishing zones and difficulties for large vessels to navigate nearby waters. Due to strong resident opposition, the government ultimately has no choice but to proceed with projects by providing sufficient compensation. The proportion of compensation costs within the project budget is also significant.

The Seonamhae Offshore Wind Power Demonstration Complex was completed earlier this year after a delay of about two years due to prolonged resident opposition. According to the plan, the second-stage pilot complex should be completed in the second half of this year, but the start of the second-stage project remains uncertain as compensation issues have not been resolved. The Tamna Offshore Wind Power Complex in Jeju, Korea's first offshore wind power project, also took 10 years to resolve complaints due to strong resident opposition.

Korea's wind power industry technology is still in its infancy, which limits the ability to avoid reliance on overseas equipment. The world's largest wind turbine manufacturer, Denmark's Vestas, accounts for 35% of the installed wind turbines in Korea. Last year, all newly installed wind turbines, totaling 191,025 MW, were foreign-made.

Wind power is labeled as a "high-cost, low-efficiency" energy source. It is difficult to generate electricity when the wind does not blow, and when the wind blows strongly, the sudden increase in supply can cause overload issues. Professor Lee Deok-hwan, Emeritus Professor at Sogang University, pointed out, "Korea's wind power is concentrated in certain regions such as Gangwon-do, Jeonnam, and Gyeongnam, where wind conditions are suitable. The electricity generated by wind power is difficult to step up to ultra-high voltage and transmit to high-demand areas like the Seoul metropolitan area, causing oversupply problems."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.