GustoMSC Signs Floating Foundation Development Pact in Korea

Dutch design and engineering company GustoMSC, South Korean offshore wind developer Halla Wind Energy, and Korean Maritime Consultants (KOMAC) signed a three-way Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the intention to mutually develop and design the GustoMSC Tri-Floater, a floating foundation for wind turbines.

The companies will jointly develop and design GustoMSC Tri-Floater for the Dongbu project off Jeju, South Korea, a Halla Wind Energy development site.

Within the MoU, GustoMSC is responsible for the basic design of the foundation, while KOMAC will perform the detailed design of the floater. A manufacturer still needs to be chosen.

The signing ceremony took place at The Shilla Hotel in Seoul as part of a Dutch trade mission to Korea led by the Dutch RVO and the Embassy of Holland in Seoul.

The Dongbu project aims to develop a 100 MW class offshore wind farm, including positions for floating wind, in Jeju, a South Korean peninsula. Jeju is pursuing a vision of relying on new renewable energy sources for 100 percent of its energy needs by 2030 through its ‘Carbon-Free Island Jeju by 2030’ plan.

The GustoMSC Tri-Floater design was chosen by Halla Wind Energy for its semi-submersible design which is characterized by a three column, slender, robust and brace-less hull. The foundation can be customized for all types of offshore wind turbines, according to GustoMSC. The development of the Tri-Floater started in 2002.