Bureau Veritas a world leader in testing, inspection and certification, in partnership with the Korean Register (KR), has been appointed to lead the project certification of Bada Energy’s Gray Whale 3, a major floating offshore wind farm project in Ulsan, Republic of Korea, that will be a key component of the country’s renewable energy strategy.
Gray Whale 3 floating offshore wind farm is a product of a partnership between Corio Generation (“Corio”), a portfolio company of the Green Investment Group, and TotalEnergies, a global multi-energy company. Under the plan, a floating offshore wind farm is being built 70 km off the coast of Ulsan, at a water depth of 150 metres. The project aims to be in operation by the end of 2026 and will have a grid connection with a capacity of approximately 500 MW.
As an independent third party, Bureau Veritas will provide project certification services. This covers a conformity assessment of the complete floating offshore wind farm and conformity assessments related to design, manufacturing, transportation, installation, and operation, including a review of the Front End Engineering Design (FEED).
Laurent Leblanc, Senior Vice President Technical & Operations at Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, said: “This project is unique. The floating offshore wind industry is at an important crossroads, and it is an honour to be a trusted partner to one of the first commercial projects. With our extensive expertise in floating foundation technology, Bureau Veritas is well positioned to support wind farm initiatives and shape trust in both fixed and floating wind energy. Building on our experience in marine-related industry, we are proud to help Bada, Corio and TotalEnergies manage risks as they implement new solutions to develop the energy of tomorrow”.
Woojin Choi, Co-Representative Director of Gray Whale 3, commented: “The project certification will enable us to carry out the floating offshore wind project in accordance with domestic and international standards. This way we can ensure the reliability and stability of the project, allowing us to contribute in strengthening the competitiveness of Korea’s offshore wind technology industry by making the project an example of outstanding practice.”
Yongsok Lee, Executive Vice President of Korean Register (KR), said: “As a cooperator with Bureau Veritas, we are pleased to participate in this Floating Offshore Wind Farm project in our country. We eagerly anticipate that both two (2) classification societies will be able to maintain a close cooperative relationship through the project execution. KR will endeavour to provide all necessary support for Corio-TotalEnergies with BV in order to make this project a real success.”
Bureau Veritas is a key player in the energy transition, present at key stages of the renewable and alternative energy production chain. It has been active for more than 15 years in offshore marine renewables and over 20 years in the offshore wind industry – notably through certification of wind turbines, project and substation certification for offshore wind farms, regulatory control of lifting equipment and electrical installations, manufacturing surveillance of wind turbine components and on-site inspection of blades and gearboxes. Through its BV Green Line of services and solutions dedicated to sustainability, Bureau Veritas supports its clients to be more efficient, more methodical and more trustworthy in their journey towards more sustainable businesses and a more sustainable world.
Source: Hellenic Shipping News
