PM Han vows to push 25GW offshore wind target by 2035

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook called Wednesday for related ministries and local governments to work closely together — and to pursue coexistence with residents and fishing communities — to ensure the country stays on track to bring 10.5 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity to near-completion or ground-breaking by 2030 and reach 25 gigawatts of installed capacity by 2035.

Han made the remarks at the first meeting of the Offshore Wind Power Committee, held at Government Complex Seoul, calling offshore wind "a core clean power source underpinning the great energy transition."

She added that it is "a vital industry capable of supplying the electricity needed for the success of the three mega-projects the government is pursuing — semiconductors, AI data centers and physical AI — and of driving growth in related industries such as shipbuilding, steel and cables."

The committee reviewed and approved the introduction of a government-led site planning system for offshore wind development. Under the new approach, the government will consolidate data on wind conditions, fisheries and military considerations to identify suitable sites, secure acceptance from local governments and residents, and then select project operators — replacing the previous model in which individual developers handled everything from site identification and community consultations to permitting on their own.

The site planning system will be pursued with the goals of expanding deployment based on optimal locations, reducing costs, securing public acceptance and supporting existing operators in transitioning into the framework established under the Offshore Wind Power Act.

The government plans to designate preliminary development zones covering 25 gigawatts of capacity by 2031 under the new system, with the first such zone to be designated before the end of this year. The Prime Minister's Office said the approach is expected to enable cumulative installed offshore wind capacity of 45 gigawatts by 2040.

Before the meeting, Han presented appointment certificates to newly named private-sector committee members. The 12 members are drawn from fields including energy and natural resources and environmental and marine science. Kim Beom-seok, a professor at the Graduate School of Wind Energy Engineering at Jeju National University, was named chair of the private-sector panel.