Pohang City Seeks Solutions for 'Eco-Friendly Energy' Future Blueprint in Denmark

Danish Energy Agency, Understanding Renewable Energy Policy Directions and Trends

Community-Participatory Offshore Wind Farm Development and Fisheries Coexistence Plans

"Offshore Wind Farm Development, Cooperation and Feedback with Local Residents"

Pohang City visited Denmark, a country actively pursuing energy diversification policies led by the government, to examine industry trends and seek solutions for coexistence between renewable energy operators and local residents.

On the 21st, the Pohang City European delegation visited the headquarters of the offshore wind power developer CIP/COP to review the operational status and achievements of the collaborative projects being promoted in Korea.

On the 21st, the Pohang City delegation, including Mayor Lee Kangdeok, Chairman Baek Inkyu of the Pohang City Council, and other representatives, visited the Danish Energy Agency in Copenhagen to understand Denmark's renewable energy policy direction and industry trends.

Denmark, after experiencing an economic crisis during the oil shock of the 1970s, promoted an energy transition and is now one of the countries with the highest proportion of renewable energy supply in the world. In particular, it is considered the global leader in wind power in terms of distribution rate and industrial competitiveness.

Pohang City, where power-intensive industries such as steel and data centers are concentrated and the secondary battery industry is rapidly growing, visited the Danish Energy Agency to seek solutions for a regionally centered power structure transition.

Stig Peterson, Strategic Partnership Advisor at the Danish Energy Agency, explained, "The Danish Energy Agency acts as a single window for offshore wind power permitting and communication with companies. We support a one-stop-shop permitting process to reduce unnecessary procedures and expedite the approval process."

Mayor Lee Kangdeok said, "The global trend toward decarbonization, such as the introduction of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism which imposes additional tariffs on products from countries with lax CO2 emission regulations, is accelerating. To secure energy leadership, Pohang City is pushing forward with the creation of RE100 industrial complexes, including hydrogen fuel cell power plants and publicly led offshore wind farms. We will continue to incorporate Denmark's energy policies into our city administration."

The delegation also attended a meeting with Danish fishermen along with representatives of Pohang's local fishermen, where they addressed questions about the process of resolving conflicts between fishermen and wind power operators.

On the 21st, the Pohang City European delegation visited the Danish Fishermen's Association together with representatives of local fishermen from the Pohang area for a meeting.

They learned that in the past, renewable energy projects often resulted in profit only for power operators and damages for local residents, causing conflict. However, in Denmark, the offshore wind power sector has institutionalized the collection of local fishermen's opinions from the site selection stage.

Pohang City, which is promoting the development of a large-scale, publicly led offshore wind farm in the waters off Guryongpo and Janggi-myeon, discussed ways for the offshore wind business and the fishing industry to coexist, including measures for coexistence with the fisheries industry and sharing the benefits of wind power development with residents and fishermen.

As the final schedule of the day, the delegation visited the headquarters of CIP/COP, the world's largest renewable energy investment manager and global offshore wind developer. CIP/COP is promoting projects such as the Shinan floating wind power project in Korea and has been in discussions for related projects in Pohang as well.

The delegation reviewed the operational status and achievements of CIP/COP's cooperative projects in Korea and agreed to continue exchanges to actively utilize this know-how in Pohang's offshore wind power projects.

Mayor Lee Kangdeok said, "For the creation of offshore wind power complexes, continuous communication among stakeholders such as fishermen, local residents, local governments, related institutions, and power operators is essential. We will make greater efforts to gather diverse opinions to resolve conflicts with local residents and develop a win-win cooperation model."

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