Revitalizing Korea’s Renewable Energy Manufacturing: A Resource Security Perspective

This article examines vulnerabilities in South Korea’s renewable solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy supply chains. Securing the capital equipment needed to generate renewable energy has become an increasingly important energy security consideration for Korea, but domestic manufacturing is capacity limited and production is concentrated in a handful of key countries. Moreover, government support for diversifying import sources or stockpiling key materials is weak. The core analysis of this paper identifies acute vulnerabilities the supply chains for varous parts, materials, services, and components, including (but not limited to): solar wafers, low-iron glass, wind turbine components, and offshore logistics. Korea does have robust domestic production capacity for power cables however. This study argues that in order to secure access to essential renewable energy equipment, Korea needs a coordinated industrial policy response that facilitates stable long-term demand, stronger domestic-content and technology-transfer incentives, streamlined permitting, strategic product and technology designations, green finance, and more rigorous supply chain risk governance.