Jeon Nam-do Councilor Woo Seung-hee: "Local Companies Must Participate in Offshore Wind Power" Provincial Government Inquiry

Seunghee Woo, Jeonnam Provincial Assembly Member

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-gyeong] Woo Seung-hee, a member of the Jeonnam Provincial Assembly (Democratic Party of Korea·Yeongam 1), proposed measures for local company participation to create jobs and establish offshore wind power complexes during the Jeonnam Provincial Assembly’s provincial government questioning session held on the 27th.

According to Assemblyman Woo Seung-hee, some parts of the “Jeonnam-type Win-Win Job Agreement for the Establishment of Offshore Wind Power Complexes,” signed in January this year by power generation companies, manufacturers, and the Jeonnam Labor-Management-Civil-Government Council participating in Jeonnam-type win-win jobs, have regressed compared to the draft amendment from June last year.

Assemblyman Woo stated, “If a mandatory ratio for locally produced products is not set, it will be possible to supply products produced in other regions while having an address in Jeonnam. The reason for promoting large-scale offshore wind power projects is to revitalize the local economy and create jobs along with the Green New Deal. Therefore, over the next 20 years, it should lead to the creation of an ecosystem including companies and jobs in manufacturing and maintenance sectors.”

He continued, “For projects that utilize Jeonnam’s marine resources to lead to continuous local job creation, the agreement should be amended or an implementation agreement established to specify ‘mandatory purchase of locally produced products,’ including participation and mandatory purchase by local manufacturers, thereby preparing participation measures for local companies.”

The Jeonnam provincial government is conducting a research project until September this year to establish an offshore wind industry ecosystem and master plan. The project will determine the future direction of offshore wind power projects, including trends of domestic and international companies, placement of parts manufacturing complexes, discovery and fostering of related companies, attraction of related companies, and establishment of support complexes.

However, among the proposals submitted to the research performing agency, the first demand survey was conducted on only 20 out of 80 resident companies in the Naju Innovation Industrial Complex, and other companies were unable to participate.

Assemblyman Woo pointed out, “To ensure the success of large-scale offshore wind power complex projects, it is necessary to check that local companies are not deliberately excluded or unable to participate due to lack of awareness, and that sufficient opinion gathering and consultation with offshore wind-related companies and local industrial complex councils are conducted.”

In particular, he emphasized, “With the long-term recession in the shipbuilding industry coinciding with offshore wind power equipment production, the Daebul National Industrial Complex must undergo industrial conversion and the offshore wind power ecosystem must be established. The Yongdang Industrial Complex (Yongdang Pier), which is close to the Daebul Industrial Complex and has the advantage of reduced logistics costs due to easy port transportation after reclamation of public waters, should be utilized as a support complex.”

He added, “We will actively develop the Yongdang Industrial Complex as a support industrial complex for offshore wind power complexes by attracting offshore wind parts companies or through joint development plans with Samho Hyundai Heavy Industries and Jeonnam Development Corporation,” and “improvements in solar power installation locations are urgently needed rather than indiscriminate development of solar power facilities.”

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