Wind Energy
Kim Jong Un has often highlighted a need to invest more time and resources into natural energy production to counteract its widespread electricity challenges. However, as noted in previous installations of this energy series, North Korea’s recent drive to bolster renewable energy capacity has primarily focused on solar and hydropower, despite its capacity for wind energy generation.
North Korea’s coastlines and overall mountainous terrain lend themselves relatively well to the generation of wind power. Without extensive in-country data collection, it is difficult to obtain a detailed and full assessment of its total wind energy capacity potential, given differences in terrain and evolving environmental factors. However, the Global Wind Atlas assesses North Korea’s mean wind power density—measured at 100 meters off the ground— to be 681 W/m2. In comparison, this is greater than South Korea’s 552 W/m2 and less than the United States’s 991 W/m2, which means North Korea has a higher wind energy potential than South Korea.
The Nautilus Institute estimates North Korea’s installed wind power capacity in 2020 is around 1.6 megawatts, an increase from 790 kilowatts in 2015. Despite this potential, a concerted effort to further develop wind as a renewable energy source has not taken hold. Instead, there are small wind installations scattered throughout the country—sometimes even paired with solar panels—typically with one of two types of wind turbines.
Types of Turbines
State newspapers and television point to two types of wind turbines used in North Korea: large three-bladed turbines frequently associated with commercial wind power around the world, and smaller units with more conical blades. Both types are utilized throughout the country. The larger turbines are reportedly manufactured in either 100-kilowatt or 250-kilowatt models.
Manufacturing and installation challenges may be a barrier to entry, given the areas where wind generation is most effective, such as mountain gaps, open plains, hills and coastlines. Larger wind turbine components can be cumbersome to transport from the site of manufacturing to the point of installation, pending the infrastructure and accessibility of the final destination. In North Korea, most wind farm locations are along the west coast or in mountainous or hilly areas.
Manufacturing and installation challenges may be a barrier to entry, given the areas where wind generation is most effective, such as mountain gaps, open plains, hills and coastlines. Larger wind turbine components can be cumbersome to transport from the site of manufacturing to the point of installation, pending the infrastructure and accessibility of the final destination. In North Korea, most wind farm locations are along the west coast or in mountainous or hilly areas.
Wind power systems are typically either imported from China or produced domestically. North Korean media has often cited in-country manufacturing capabilities over the last handful of years. For example, a 2015 Pyongyang Times article reported that a new type of small wind turbine, produced by the Aeguk Magnet Factory, utilized a new conical design with shorter blades that was more than twice as efficient at utilizing the rate of wind than the traditional three-blade models. The article noted that the cost of these units, with a reported capacity of 100-300 watts, is at least 75 percent less than other models. While this cannot be verified, it supports the assertion that North Korea is trying to develop more domestic renewable energy solutions.
The following examples represent projects where both smaller and larger types of wind turbines are in use in North Korea. From generating power for military-related purposes, academic facilities, or broader areas, wind power—like solar—is frequently used to supplement power supply for operational use.
Read the full analysis on 38 North.
North Korea’s Energy Sector: Unrealized Wind and Tidal Power Potential
By Iliana Ragnone
Korean Peninsula
This article was originally published on 38 North.
Wind Energy
Kim Jong Un has often highlighted a need to invest more time and resources into natural energy production to counteract its widespread electricity challenges. However, as noted in previous installations of this energy series, North Korea’s recent drive to bolster renewable energy capacity has primarily focused on solar and hydropower, despite its capacity for wind energy generation.
North Korea’s coastlines and overall mountainous terrain lend themselves relatively well to the generation of wind power. Without extensive in-country data collection, it is difficult to obtain a detailed and full assessment of its total wind energy capacity potential, given differences in terrain and evolving environmental factors. However, the Global Wind Atlas assesses North Korea’s mean wind power density—measured at 100 meters off the ground— to be 681 W/m2.1Mean power density is the mean annual power (watts) per square meter of area captured by a wind turbine at any given height. In comparison, this is greater than South Korea’s 552 W/m2 and less than the United States’s 991 W/m2, which means North Korea has a higher wind energy potential than South Korea.
The Nautilus Institute estimates North Korea’s installed wind power capacity in 2020 is around 1.6 megawatts, an increase from 790 kilowatts in 2015. Despite this potential, a concerted effort to further develop wind as a renewable energy source has not taken hold. Instead, there are small wind installations scattered throughout the country—sometimes even paired with solar panels—typically with one of two types of wind turbines.
Types of Turbines
State newspapers and television point to two types of wind turbines used in North Korea: large three-bladed turbines frequently associated with commercial wind power around the world, and smaller units with more conical blades. Both types are utilized throughout the country. The larger turbines are reportedly manufactured in either 100-kilowatt or 250-kilowatt models.
Manufacturing and installation challenges may be a barrier to entry, given the areas where wind generation is most effective, such as mountain gaps, open plains, hills and coastlines. Larger wind turbine components can be cumbersome to transport from the site of manufacturing to the point of installation, pending the infrastructure and accessibility of the final destination. In North Korea, most wind farm locations are along the west coast or in mountainous or hilly areas.
Manufacturing and installation challenges may be a barrier to entry, given the areas where wind generation is most effective, such as mountain gaps, open plains, hills and coastlines. Larger wind turbine components can be cumbersome to transport from the site of manufacturing to the point of installation, pending the infrastructure and accessibility of the final destination. In North Korea, most wind farm locations are along the west coast or in mountainous or hilly areas.
Wind power systems are typically either imported from China or produced domestically. North Korean media has often cited in-country manufacturing capabilities over the last handful of years. For example, a 2015 Pyongyang Times article reported that a new type of small wind turbine, produced by the Aeguk Magnet Factory, utilized a new conical design with shorter blades that was more than twice as efficient at utilizing the rate of wind than the traditional three-blade models. The article noted that the cost of these units, with a reported capacity of 100-300 watts, is at least 75 percent less than other models. While this cannot be verified, it supports the assertion that North Korea is trying to develop more domestic renewable energy solutions.
The following examples represent projects where both smaller and larger types of wind turbines are in use in North Korea. From generating power for military-related purposes, academic facilities, or broader areas, wind power—like solar—is frequently used to supplement power supply for operational use.
Read the full analysis on 38 North.
Notes
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