GS Entec 蔚山龙岑工厂扩建竣工，成为亚洲最大海上风电单桩（monopile）生产基地

ULSAN — At GS Entec's Yongjam plant in Ulsan on the 26th, more than a dozen small flames burned steadily beneath a massive cylindrical steel plate measuring 34 meters long and weighing 100 tons. The flames were heating the seams of the steel to more than 100 degrees Celsius, a preheating step that prepares the metal for welding. It is part of the process of joining "cans," the core components of monopiles, the foundations that hold offshore wind turbines in place on the seabed.
When the giant cans are precisely joined, they form a monopile weighing as much as 2,500 tons. The unit being fabricated at the site that day was a prototype of a monopile to be supplied to the Taean offshore wind power project starting in July next year.
The Yongjam plant is Asia's largest production base dedicated to monopiles. GS Entec invested about 300 billion won ($209 million) and began building the production line in October 2024, holding a completion ceremony on the 26th to mark the end of the expansion. The project raised the plant's annual monopile capacity to 150,000 tons from 40,000 tons.
The newly operational line incorporates the technology and latest process expertise of Sif, the Dutch company that is the world's top monopile specialist. Engineers at the site, however, believe they can surpass Sif. "The core of monopile manufacturing is welding, and our existing chemical equipment business was also built on welding large steel plates, so if we secure enough time to master the equipment, we can catch up with Sif," said Song Won-kil, chief executive of GS Entec. "Sif officials visited the plant, watched our manufacturing process and told us they respect us."
Backed by that capacity, GS Entec plans to bid for nine offshore wind projects in South Korea and Japan through 2030. The company signed a contract in 2023 to supply 64 monopiles worth about 200 billion won ($139 million) to the 365-megawatt Yeonggwang Nagwol offshore wind project and completed installation of all units in June this year, demonstrating its ability to carry out projects from fabrication to delivery. Last month it won the right to supply 37 monopiles for the 504-megawatt Taean offshore wind power project. The company is targeting annual revenue of 350 billion won to 400 billion won ($244 million to $279 million).
GS Group Chairman Huh Tae-soo inspects equipment at the Yongjam plant after the completion ceremony for the automated monopile production facility on the 26th. Photo courtesy of GS Entec
Huh Tae-soo, chairman of GS Group, attended the ceremony in person to lend his support. "It carries symbolic meaning in that we transformed existing chemical equipment manufacturing facilities into renewable energy infrastructure, turning the era's shift toward energy transition into a business opportunity and achieving an active business transformation," Huh said. "This is an important example showing that GS Group is expanding into future growth areas including AI data centers, renewable energy and related infrastructure." Huh Chul-hong, chief executive of GS Entec, said: "By combining Sif's technology with GS Entec's manufacturing capability, we will strengthen our competitiveness in quality and delivery schedules, and expand our position in the global offshore wind market on the back of our domestic track record."
Still, voices at the site said dedicated monopile quays are urgently needed for South Korea's offshore wind ecosystem to become globally competitive. Installing offshore wind foundations is heavily affected by rough sea conditions, leaving only about 90 workable days a year. That is why storage yards and dedicated quays that allow immediate shipment when weather permits are essential.
"We are temporarily using Mokpo Port and Mokpo New Port, but there is not enough space to store monopiles weighing 1,650 tons," Song said. "Offshore wind powerhouses such as the United States, Denmark and Germany have large dedicated quays of more than 660,000 square meters (200,000 pyeong), so if the government takes the lead in building quays, we can participate through funds and strengthen the competitiveness of the domestic offshore wind ecosystem."