This paper investigates the feasibility of using a port in Jeonbuk Province as a support port for the development of offshore wind farms in the southwestern sea region. It aims to propose practical strategies to enable these port functions with an analysis of case studies from European ports. As offshore wind turbines continue to scale up in size, it has become urgent and essential for Korea's offshore wind development to have a port capable of handling the transportation and storage of components for next-generation large-scale turbines surpassing the 3MW-class models currently used in the demonstration phase of the Southwest Sea Wind Farm's first stage. The characteristics of six European ports were analyzed and the required features and necessary improvements for Gunsan Port were identified. As a result, this study suggests that it is necessary to strengthen the load-bearing capacity of the quay and improve the hinterland yard of Gunsan Port. By taking full advantage of its geographical benefits compared to other domestic ports with the appropriate reinforcement of the quay foundation and the timely implementation of required improvements, Gunsan Port could become Korea's most viable and strategic support port for offshore wind projects.

Drag anchors are key components for mooring floating offshore wind turbines, but empirical formulas derived from small-scale experiments have limitations in reliably predicting the holding capacity of large anchors. In this paper, the holding capacity and pull-out behavior of the Stevpris Mk6 drag anchor were numerically analyzed using the Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian method. The analysis results indicated that the ultimate holding capacity increased proportionally with both anchor weight and the undrained shear strength of the soil, showing good agreement with the design charts provided by Vryhof. Under a water depth of 150 m, the 245.3 kN (25 tonf) anchor exhibited stable performance at pull-out angles of 5° and 10°, exceeding the design capacity of 18,200 kN, whereas at 15°, pull-out behavior occurred, accompanied by reduced penetration and a gradual decrease in holding capacity.

In this study, the characteristics of vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs), floating substructures and drivetrains applicable to VAWTs were examined and summarized to support the development of floating vertical-axis offshore wind turbine systems. In addition, the technological trends related to floating VAWT systems were reviewed, and the key features of these trends were investigated. Major technical challenges and potential solutions to enable the upscaling of floating VAWT systems were presented. Finally, this study provides fundamental reference data for the development of an independent domestic model of a floating vertical-axis offshore wind turbine system.

This study evaluates the design and performance of a suspended inter-array cable (IAC) for a three-turbine 15 MW floating offshore wind farm in the Ulsan region of Korea. A numerical model incorporating the turbine, floater, dynamic power cables, and related components was developed, and site-specific environmental conditions were applied to the design. Cable length, buoy count, and spacing were selected as design variables, while sea-surface and seabed clearance, minimum breaking load, and minimum bend radius were defined as constraints. Using the proposed IAC design procedure, 472 design candidates were assessed, and a final configuration that satisfies all constraints under marine growth and multiple environmental directions was identified. In addition, an accidental limit state analysis assuming single mooring line failure showed that tension may exceed the minimum breaking load or curvature limits may be violated depending on the failure location. These results provide useful guidance for preliminary inter-array cable design and highlight the need for additional safety measures in mooring line failure scenarios.

This study numerically evaluated environmental changes associated with the construction and operation of offshore wind farms in the Southwest Sea of Korea and compared impact areas in different layout scenarios. Hydrodynamics, sediment transport, suspended sediments, and underwater noise were simulated and validated with observational data. Post-construction analysis showed changes in surface maximum currents speed ranging from -85.8 to 50.6 cm/s. Sediment transport simulations indicated increased deposition in the east-west direction and increased erosion in the north-south direction, with annual rates from -5.81 to 5.36 cm/year. Suspended sediment dispersion reached up to 3.42 km² during construction, while underwater noise exceeded relevant criteria within 200 m during construction and 50-100 m during operation. Comparison of layout scenarios showed similar total impact areas when both construction and operation phases were considered, whereas when only the operation phase was considered, impact areas for the 10% reduced layout decreased by approximately 39.6% due to differences in noise propagation. The results provide quantitative information on the spatial characteristics of environmental responses to offshore wind farm development.

This study presents a full design cycle methodology for a 15 MW semi-submersible floating wind turbine substructure. 25 parametric models based on the VolturnUS-S platform, developed at the University of Maine and later adopted as the IEA 15 MW reference platform with support from National Laboratory of the Rockies(NLR), were evaluated using frequency-domain analysis, with design criteria including heave natural period, pitch angle, and rotor nacelle assembly(RNA) acceleration. The conceptual design model was validated through time-domain load analysis. The detailed structural design adhered to International Association of Classification Societies(IACS) Common Structural Rules(CSR) standards, and structural integrity was verified through finite element analysis at ultimate and fatigue limit states. This systematic approach provides a foundation for future optimization of large-scale floating wind structures.

Accurate wind resource-based energy prediction is essential for market participation and operation optimization in the expanding real-time electricity market in Korea. However, conventional public numerical weather prediction (NWP) products often provide insufficient spatiotemporal resolution to represent minute-scale variability and site-specific wind characteristics, leading to limited applicability for wind farm bidding and control. This study developed a demand-driven wind resource data analysis platform by establishing a long-term minute-scale ensemble wind prediction database and integrating an AI-based analysis engine. A physics-based prediction system (KIER-WindPredict) was enhanced using a heterogeneous ensemble configuration that includes different boundary layer parameterizations and multisource NWP inputs. The system generates wind predictions at 5-minute temporal resolution with high spatial resolution throughout Jeju Island. Validation using one-year wind observation (2023) shows that the proposed dataset achieved a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.85 and outperformed domestic and global forecast datasets. Furthermore, a machine learning-based wind resource correction and energy diagnostic engine was developed and tested for multiple wind farms that showed improved prediction accuracy on the "Windatahub" platform. These proposed data and analysis functions will support electricity market bidding, real-time operations, and techno-economic assessment including ESS-linked revenue simulations.

Following the implementation of the Special Act on Offshore Wind Power, this study aims to propose environmental criteria and strategic directions for the designation of preliminary zones for offshore wind power. To derive environmental issues relevant to the selection of preliminary zones, existing guidelines, manuals, and guidance documents related to environmental assessments for offshore wind power were analyzed, and environmental impact assessment cases of domestic offshore wind projects with capacities exceeding 100 MW were systematically reviewed. In addition, offshore wind site selection practices in Scotland were examined, and key environmental issues were identified through a comprehensive consideration of the characteristics of coastal and marine space use in Korea. The results indicate that major environmental concerns include seabirds, conflicts with existing marine uses such as fisheries, impacts on seascape and visual amenity, legally protected areas, marine mammals, and subsea cable routing. Based on these findings, this study proposes strategic directions for the designation of preliminary zones, including: (1) emphasizing the principles of avoidance and prevention; (2) the proactive exclusion of avoidance zones; (3) the prioritization of open-sea areas; (4) phased adjustment of preliminary zones; and (5) improved communication grounded in stakeholder participation.