Vestas has been confirmed as the preferred wind turbine supplier for the Ulsan Gray Whale 3 floating offshore wind farm in South Korea, developed by BadaEnergy. Under the agreement, Vestas will supply 33 units of the V236-15.0 MW wind turbine, specifically designed for floating foundations.

The Ulsan Gray Whale 3 project, with a capacity of 504 MW, aims to utilize floating offshore wind technology to harness wind resources off the coast of Ulsan. Vestas will work in collaboration with BadaEnergy and Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), the preferred bidder for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of the project.

Srdan Cenic, Country Manager of Vestas Korea & Vice President, Head of Sales Offshore of Vestas Asia Pacific, expressed the company's commitment to delivering the competitiveness of Vestas' technology and leveraging their experience in floating wind project execution to optimize the deployment of offshore wind for the project.

BadaEnergy had earlier selected the HHI and Doris consortium for Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) services, focusing on the floater, mooring, and inter-array cables. HHI is now part of a task force with BadaEnergy and Vestas to refine the design and streamline the execution plan for the fabrication of hulls, turbine integration, and offshore installation.

Woojin Choi, BadaEnergy’s co-representative director, emphasized the significance of floating offshore wind projects in achieving global net-zero targets and opening opportunities for Korea's supply chain to enter the global market. The Ulsan Gray Whale 3 project is expected to contribute to Ulsan City's net-zero targets and attract innovative companies seeking renewable energy sources.

The broader BadaEnergy portfolio includes at least 2 GW of floating and fixed-bottom offshore wind projects off the coasts of Ulsan and South Jeolla province. Among these, the 1.5 GW Gray Whale project is anticipated to be one of the world's largest floating offshore wind developments. Construction is planned to commence in stages by 2025, with commercial operation targeted for 2028. The Ulsan Gray Whale 3 floating offshore wind farm is situated around 60 to 70 kilometers from Onsan Port.