HJ Shipbuilding & Construction, J-Ocean Heavy Industries among four firms to build offshore wind cluster in Gunsan

HJ Shipbuilding & Construction announced Wednesday that it will develop an offshore wind cluster in Gunsan together with J-Ocean Heavy Industries, renewable energy developer Myeongun Industrial Development and wind power specialist Unison.

The four companies' chief executives signed a memorandum of understanding for the project on Tuesday at HJ Shipbuilding & Construction's office in Galwol-dong, Seoul. Gunsan Mayor Kim Jae-jun and Cha Jeong-hun, chairman of Korea Real Estate Investment & Trust — who led the acquisition of the Gunsan Shipyard — also attended the signing ceremony.

The MOU aims to build an offshore wind equipment supply chain by combining each company's business capabilities and to identify new business opportunities.

Under the four-way agreement, J-Ocean Heavy Industries will use the Gunsan Shipyard's existing infrastructure to provide a production base for offshore wind structures and related equipment.

HJ Shipbuilding & Construction will contribute to establishing a production hub for offshore structures — including wind towers and offshore substation units — drawing on its accumulated manufacturing and process management technology from the shipbuilding and marine sectors.

Myeongun Industrial Development and Unison will share expertise in offshore wind project development and production know-how, and cooperate in building the related equipment supply chain.

J-Ocean Heavy Industries is expected to diversify its business portfolio by expanding the Gunsan Shipyard's production capabilities beyond traditional shipbuilding into the marine energy sector. HJ Shipbuilding & Construction, meanwhile, can pursue new business opportunities based on its experience in the shipbuilding and marine industries.

J-Ocean Heavy Industries has been preparing to resume operations at the yard, signing letters of intent for a total of 10 vessels — including crude oil carriers and petrochemical product tankers — over the past four months.

The company also plans to develop 330,000 square meters of idle land at the shipyard — out of a total site of 1.78 million square meters, with the remainder reserved for vessel construction — into an offshore wind cluster to expand its business scope and cultivate it as a new growth engine.

"We will work closely with our MOU partners to give concrete shape to the project and deliver results that contribute to regional development and economic revitalization," an HJ Shipbuilding & Construction official said.