Taiwan’s First Offshore Substations Stand

Heerema Marine Contractors’ heavy-lift vessel Aegir has installed the two substation topsides at Ørsted’s 900 MW Greater Changhua 1 and 2a wind farms offshore Taiwan.

Manufactured in Singapore by Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd, the two topsides are the first-ever to be installed in Taiwan’s waters.

”Installation for our Greater Changhua 1&2a project goes on. Despite being in winter season now and still under CoVid-19 restrictions we see major progress based on extraordinary efforts by the different teams in Ørsted and at the contractors. Impressive work and soo important for Taiwan’s energy transition,” Matthias Bausenwein, President of Ørsted Asia Pacific, said in a LinkedIn post.

Keppel O&M completed the construction of the jacket foundations for the two unmanned 600 MW offshore substations in the second quarter of 2021 and will be undertaking the integration work for the offshore substations.

The jackets were installed by Aegir in May and June.

Once operational, the Greater Changhua 1 & 2a will be Taiwan’s first far shore and large-scale offshore wind project.

Located some 35 to 50 kilometres off the coast of Changhua County, the 900 MW wind farms will comprise the two substations and 111 Siemens Gamesa 8 MW wind turbines scheduled to be fully operational by the end of 2022.

The 605 MW Greater Changhua 1 wind farm is owned by Ørsted (50 per cent), and a consortium comprising Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and the Taiwanese private equity fund, Cathay PE (50 per cent).

The 295 MW Changhua 2a is owned solely by Ørsted.

Ørsted is in charge of developing both wind farms.