GS Entec builds Asia's first dedicated monopile facility, calls for offshore wind ports modeled on Coupang Inc logistics centers

"Offshore wind needs a dedicated port — something like a Coupang Inc logistics center."

Song Won-gil, CEO of GS Entec, made the remarks Monday at a press conference marking the completion of the company's dedicated monopile production facility at its Yongjam factory in Ulsan. GS Entec is the only company in South Korea that manufactures cylindrical offshore wind substructures known as monopiles.

GS Entec's core business was once large-scale chemical plants, but the company has been pivoting since 2022, when it began a partnership with Sif, the world's leading offshore wind substructure manufacturer based in the Netherlands. The newly completed monopile facility was built by retrofitting existing chemical plant equipment with automated systems, at a total cost of 300 billion won ($227 million).

A dedicated port capable of bearing the weight of offshore wind turbine components — each weighing thousands of tons — has long been an industry priority. Standard ports cannot handle such loads, making it difficult to stockpile large quantities of equipment. The monopiles GS Entec recently supplied for the Yeonggwang Nakwol project, for instance, weigh 880 tons each, while a typical port berth can support only about 3 tons per square meter.

"Given South Korea's offshore weather conditions, there are only 90 days a year when construction work on an offshore wind complex is possible," Song said. "We need a port near the complex where equipment can be stored and deployed immediately on days when installation is feasible." He added that a port along the south or west coast — where most offshore wind turbines are installed — would help ensure continuity of operations.

Song also raised the need to build infrastructure capable of meeting government procurement volumes. "With the government pushing hard on offshore wind policy, ports and other infrastructure must be expanded in tandem to keep pace with the volume of orders that will come out every year," he said.

The government is targeting 25 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2035, adding 4 GW per year. Meeting that pace will require expanded port infrastructure to ensure timely delivery of components to newly developed offshore wind complexes each year.

The completion ceremony at the Yongjam factory on Monday was attended by GS Group Chairman Heo Tae-soo, GS Entec CEO Heo Cheol-hong and Sif CEO Koen Bogers. GS Entec began building the facility in 2024 and finished construction two years later.

The completion brings GS Entec's annual monopile production capacity from 40,000 tons to 150,000 tons, making it Asia's first facility dedicated exclusively to manufacturing extra-large monopiles.

Since entering the monopile market in 2022, GS Entec has consistently built up its domestic track record. In 2023, it supplied 64 monopiles worth around 200 billion won for the Yeonggwang Nakwol offshore wind project, and in September it signed a contract to supply 37 monopiles for the Taean wind power project.

The company plans to pursue overseas contracts as well, starting with Japan. "We will bid on all three projects scheduled in Japan after 2028," Song said, adding that the Taean wind power project would serve as a key reference for winning Japanese contracts.

GS Group Chairman Heo Tae-soo, who attended the ceremony, said the completion of the Yongjam factory carried symbolic significance as it transformed a legacy chemical equipment facility into a renewable energy infrastructure site — turning the energy transition into a concrete business opportunity through an active strategic pivot.

He said the project demonstrated that GS Group is broadening its business scope by seeking new opportunities in future growth sectors, including AI data centers, renewable energy and related infrastructure.

In his welcoming remarks, GS Entec CEO Heo Cheol-hong said the company would combine Sif's technological expertise with GS Entec's manufacturing capabilities to strengthen quality and delivery competitiveness, and expand its presence in the global offshore wind market on the strength of its domestic track record.