South Korea has awarded contracts for five offshore wind projects with a combined capacity of 1,786 MW in the first-half 2026 competitive auction for fixed-price power contracts, following bids from nine projects totalling 3,656 MW.
According to the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (MCEE), the auction recorded a 2:1 competition ratio for the first time since the offshore wind auction system was introduced in 2022.
The successful portfolio includes 1,254 MW of fixed-bottom offshore wind capacity and 532 MW of floating offshore wind. The floating wind segment returned to the auction after no floating projects were tendered in 2025 because of limited participation.
The selected projects include the 160 MW Geumodo offshore wind farm under the public-led category. In the general bidding category, the government awarded the 250 MW Gulupdo, 340 MW Hanbit, and 504 MW Haesong 3 fixed-bottom offshore wind projects, together with the 532 MW Haewoori 2 floating offshore wind project.
Denmark-based Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), the developer and owner of Haesong 3 and Haewoori 2, secured more than 1 GW of the total capacity awarded in the auction.
MCEE said all selected projects committed to using the domestic supply chain for key components and services, including substructures, power cables, installation, construction and operations.
The ministry also stated that projects using 10 MW-class wind turbines were selected because domestic technology and supply capabilities are already established. Projects proposing 15 MW-class turbines submitted plans for domestic manufacturing together with technology transfer commitments rather than relying solely on assembly or contract manufacturing.
MCEE said it will strengthen post-award monitoring to verify that commitments related to domestic manufacturing, technology transfer and supply chain participation are fulfilled.
Alongside the auction results, the ministry released its Offshore Wind Mid- to Long-Term Bidding Implementation Roadmap, outlining annual offshore wind auction volumes for the 2026–2035 period. The government said the roadmap is intended to improve market predictability and support continued investment in offshore wind projects, infrastructure and the domestic supply chain.
