Equinor Selects Ekwil’s Semi-Submersible Floating Foundation for South Korean Project

June 19, 2025, by Adnan Memija

Equinor has selected Ekwil’s INOC semi-submersible floating foundation technology for its 750 MW Firefly/Bandibuli floating offshore wind project in South Korea.

The project builds on early design work initiated in 2022 through the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) delivered by Technip Energies and Inocean.

Engineered to support Siemens Gamesa’s 15 MW turbines, the INOC semi-submersible floating foundation platform is designed for reliable performance in South Korea’s challenging offshore conditions, according to Ekwil.

Equinor signed a memorandum of understanding with Ulsan City in May 2019 for the development of the up to 750 MW Firefly/Bandibuli floating wind farm offshore Ulsan, planned to be built 70 kilometres off the Ulsan coast, across two sites, each covering 75 square kilometres.

The developer obtained approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for its project in July 2024.

In October 2024, the wind farm entered into a Transmission Service Agreement (TSA) with Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), and two months later, Firefly/Bandibuli was announced as one of the five offshore wind projects awarded capacity by South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE).

The project, which will feature Siemens Gamesa 15 MW turbines, is targeting first energy around 2030.