This is an offshore wind power complex in Sinan-gun County, Jeollanam-do Province. (SK Innovation E&S)

By Gil Kyuyoung

The largest offshore wind power cluster in the Asia-Pacific region will be built in the country's southwestern region of Sinan-gun County, Jeollanam-do Province.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on April 22 said it designated the proposed cluster as an integrated complex after a meeting of the New and Renewable Energy Expert Committee.

An integrated complex is an area where local governments look for sites and use a private commission to gain approval from residents to install and run renewable energy generation equipment.

By 2033, 10 offshore wind farms with a combined capacity of 3.2 gigawatts are expected to be completed around Sinan-gun, accounting for power capacity equivalent to that of three nuclear power plants.

Jeollanam-do's goals are to provide 30 gigawatts in offshore wind power around the province, earn basic energy income of KRW 1 trillion and attract companies to the RE100 project, which seeks to promote 100% use of renewable energy.

Jeollanam-do Gov. Kim Yung-Rok said, "We will make our province the capital of the country's energy industry and the center of offshore wind power in the Asia-Pacific region."

gilkyuyoung@korea.kr