S-Energy Launches 12.9 Billion Won National Offshore Solar Project... Developing Next-Gen High-Durability Modules in Saemangeum

S-Energy has officially begun developing next-generation offshore solar power technology based in Saemangeum. Partnering with 12 industry-academia-research organizations, the company aims to develop highly durable and high-efficiency offshore solar modules that can be used for more than 30 years. This strategy is designed to boost domestic technological competitiveness and secure an early foothold in the global market.

S-Energy announced on the 27th that it launched joint R&D efforts at the kickoff meeting for the “Development and Demonstration of Highly Durable Solar Modules for Offshore Environments” research project. The meetings were held at the Saemangeum floating solar demonstration site and the Saemangeum Development Authority in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do from July 23 to 24.

This project is a national R&D initiative for core renewable energy technology development, with a total budget of 12.9 billion won. It is supported by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment and the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning. S-Energy is the lead organization, and a total of 12 industry-academia-research participants are involved: Shinsung ENG, HD Hyundai Energy Solutions, SJ Advanced Materials, Boseong Advanced Materials, Miseong Telecom, Mirae SP, HS Solar Energy, Korea Rural Community Corporation, Kunsan National University, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH), Korea Testing Laboratory (KTL), and others.

The goal of the research and development is to develop offshore solar modules with a power conversion efficiency of 24.3% and a lifespan of at least 30 years, capable of operating reliably even under harsh marine conditions such as exposure to salt, strong winds, and waves. The developed technology will be applied to the actual demonstration site to verify its performance and reliability and to lay the groundwork for commercialization.

While offshore solar power has the advantage of utilizing large water surfaces, rapid material degradation and mechanical fatigue due to corrosion from seawater, strong winds, and wave loading have emerged as significant technical challenges.

To counter these challenges, the consortium plans to develop and standardize ultra-high-durability low-permeability films, low-contamination glass coatings, glass strengthening technology, as well as waterproof junction boxes (J-Boxes), suitable connectors, and corrosion-resistant floating structures for marine environments. Mass production processes and evaluation standards will also be standardized.

After the kickoff meeting, participating organizations visited the Saemangeum floating solar demonstration site to inspect the location and conduct preliminary investigations. Moving forward, they agreed to build a collaborative system connecting every phase of the process: from materials and components development, to module design, structure construction, safety guideline establishment, demonstration, and standardization. After initial small-scale pilot demonstrations in cooperation with Korea Rural Community Corporation, the plan is to proceed to step-by-step demonstrations and reliability verification on the inland waters of Saemangeum before moving toward commercialization.

Lee Sanggil, Principal Researcher at S-Energy, stated, "By bringing together academia, research institutes, and companies, we have turned a corner in overcoming the challenging offshore environment and advancing renewable energy technology for the era of carbon neutrality.” He continued, “We will maximize the synergy of industry-academia-research collaboration by concentrating research capabilities on developing high-value-added materials and components technologies.”

S-Energy expects that the expansion of the offshore solar market will drive a rapid increase in demand for highly durable equipment. Through this research, the company plans not only to enhance the technological competitiveness of Korea's offshore solar industry but also to actively participate in domestic standard revisions and international standard proposals based on demonstration results, thus establishing a foundation for early entry into the global market.

This national project is expected to serve as a catalyst for commercializing and standardizing next-generation, high-efficiency, and highly durable offshore solar technology, thereby strengthening the global competitiveness of Korea’s offshore solar industry.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.