More than five years after South Korea unveiled plans for the 8.2GW Sinan Offshore Wind Project – then billed as the world’s largest offshore wind farm – the mega-development continues to gather momentum through phased implementation. While full-scale construction has yet to begin, the project has advanced with ongoing permitting and supply-chain investments. Grid planning and successive offshore wind procurements have also taken place.

96MW Jeonnam Offshore Wind Farm Phase 1 entered commercial operation in May 2025, becoming the first operating project supporting the eventual 8.2GW Sinan/Jeonnam offshore wind complex.

Additionally, several Sinan Phase 1 developments including a 300MW, 390MW and a 408MW wind farm have continued advancing through permitting. They have also secured financing and reached procurement milestones during the 2025-2026 period.

Furthermore, in early 2026, the 390MW Sinan Ui Offshore Wind Project secured funding from South Korea’s National Growth Fund and moved toward construction. Sinan Ui is one of the projects within the broader South Jeolla offshore wind program. South Korea is also advancing the construction of other offshore wind farms including the 800MW Jeonbuk Southwest Offshore Wind Project in a bid to expand its renewable energy portfolio.

South Korea moves forward with world’s largest offshore wind farm plan

Reported February 11, 2021 – The government of South Korea has announced their plans to fast-track their plan to construct the world’s largest offshore wind farm by pledging their support for the US$43 billion plan. The “Green New Deal”, President Moon Jae-In’s plan for reducing the nation’s carbon emissions, his administration is backing a proposed 8.2 GW wind farm off the coast of Sinan, a small archipelago just west of Mokpo.

Once construction is completed, it would be the largest single offshore wind project in the world, and it would double the nation’s existing wind power capacity. The objective behind the project is to jump-start South Korea’s renewable energy industry and make the country a leader in offshore wind power by 2030.

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Sinan (Shinan) 8.2GW offshore wind project: Employment and economic development

The President’s administration estimates that its construction and operation would create 120,000 jobs, along with new opportunities at manufacturing centers in Mokpo, Yeongam, and Sinan. In line with Moon’s goals for economic development, the megaproject will have an all-domestic lineup.

The partners include utilities Kepco and SK, turbine and powerplant builder Doosan Heavy Industries, whose most powerful offshore turbine is a 5.5 MW model and is working on an eight MW design. Infrastructure construction company Hanwha and wind farm developer CS Wind are also partners who will be involved.

“The government will provide every necessary support under the goal of making [South Korea] one of the world’s top five offshore wind powerhouses by 2030,” Moon said at a signing ceremony Friday. “We will shorten the project preparation period, which takes more than five years to start construction, and enact special laws to provide comprehensive support from location discovery to licensing.” In a “win-win” development model, Moon said, local residents will have employment opportunities from the project, along with a share of the profits in the form of a lifelong “offshore wind power pension.”