HYOSUNG

We celebrate Global Wind Day on June 15 to highlight the power and possibilities that wind energy can provide to better protect our environment. People often take wind for granted, but wind has the potential to provide us with endless energy.

How wind turbine works

The RE100 campaign (Renewable Electricity 100%) aims to convert all electricity sources of company to 100% renewable energy by 2050, while wind, solar, and water sources receive attention.

Many companies are particularly paying attention to wind power for its great potentials. Did you know if Hyosung Heavy Industries is one of them?

The workings of wind power turbines are the first thing we need to understand before diving into Hyosung’s wind power business.

Wind turbines are composed of blades, tower and nacelle. A nacelle consist of a  gear box and generator. The gear box accelerates the blades from low speed to high speed. Generator convert mechanical energy into electric energy. 

To put it simply, once wind energy comes into contact with the blade, it starts to rotate and the rotational kinetic energy created by the gear box is conversed into electric energy which is transferred to substations to reach consumers.

Hyosung makes a difference even when it comes to wind power

In 2006, Hyosung Heavy Industries developed Korea's first 750kW wind turbine, and in 2009, it developed a 2MW turbine. In 2014, a 5.5MW offshore wind turbine was installed and is currently in operation at the Jeju Gimnyeong National Wind Test Site. In 2015, this turbine received international certification from the DEWI-OCC Group of Germany. Based on its proprietary technology, Hyosung is the first Korean company to acquire international certification for geared wind power plants.

The key to wind power is organic collaboration among different parties. Hyosung is uniquely positioned to compete in this area with its competitive gearboxes and generators. In addition to core technologies, Hyosung is a leader in various parts used in wind power turbines. 90% of the parts are manufactured locally.

Hyosung leads the future of green energy

With the national carbon zero policy and subsequent efforts have made renewable energy such as wind power essential for reducing carbon emissions because it does not use fossil fuels.

Hyosung plans to invest 1 trillion KRW in Jeollanam-do, Korea, for its wind power-based green hydrogen production. Using water electrolysis, wind turbines will be built offshore of Sinan to produce green hydrogen.

A wind power plant complex to be built with a capacity of 25GW encompassing offshore Younggwang, Sinan and Yeosu. This scale would match 25 nuclear power plants by facility volume. Hyosung Heavy Industries is working on a joint venture with a global leader in offshore wind turbine manufacturing. Currently, Hyosung Heavy Industries is working on acquiring KS certification for a 10MW wind turbine which will produce energy domestically.

Hyosung has also been working on building a 10MW water electrolysis facility, which will be the largest in Korea. From offshore wind power turbines, Hyosung plans to produce up to 200,000 tons of green hydrogen.

As there are many areas that would require green energy in the future, green hydrogen will facilitate a green energy of the future. In the Energy Storage System (ESS), for instance, batteries would be replaced by the P2G (Power to Gas) technology that stores green hydrogen as gas.

The hydrogen fuel cell would have a higher energy density per weight than the ESS, and would require less energy to recharge. Lithium battery in ESS have less energy density per weight than hydrogen and larger energy loss.

Hydrogen would have larger energy density per weight than that of the ESS and less energy loss and limitations in recharging frequency. The use of green hydrogen as an energy source would enable us to save large amounts of electricity while reducing losses.

Green wind power plant led by Hyosung Heavy Industries

Wind power holds limitless potential. Wind power as part of solar power energy is limitless in supply and tapped into for energy permanently. Unlike fossil fuel, wind power energy does not emit toxic pollutants such as greenhouse gas into air. It only requires investment in early stages but otherwise operational cost would be minimal.

Wind power is in its nascent period in terms of development and thus promises a great potential of growth. Hyosung is leading that development effort. It is in our hands as to how to use this energy of limitless supply in a smart and efficient manner.