Ørsted has commenced the offshore construction for the 920 MW Greater Changhua 2b and 4 offshore wind farms, located 35-60 kilometres off the coast of Changhua County, Taiwan.
Greater Changhua 2b and 4 were awarded in June 2018 as part of Taiwan’s first competitive price-based auction, which had no mandatory local content requirements. In July 2020, Ørsted signed a 20-year fixed-price corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA) for the corporate customer to offtake the full production of the wind farms.
The 920 MW project will feature 66 Siemens Gamesa 14-236 DD wind turbines, the largest of their kind to be deployed in the Taiwan Strait, said the developer. The wind farm is set to use suction bucket jacket (SBJ) foundations, the first time this type of foundation will be installed in Asia Pacific.
Since its final investment decision in March 2023, Ørsted has begun manufacturing key components, completed civil work on the onshore substation , and mobilised vessels in preparation for offshore construction.
Together with suppliers and contractors, the company has commenced seabed scour protection and is progressing with full-scale offshore construction, including the installation of the offshore substation, SBJ foundations, and wind turbines, as well as the laying of array and export cables.
The jacket, piles, and the 3,260-tonne topside of the offshore substation departed from the construction yards in Batam and Singapore earlier this month and are currently en route to Taiwan, where the installation will begin as soon as weather conditions permit, said Ørsted.
SBJ foundations and wind turbine components are arriving at the marshalling yard in the Port of Taichung at a steady pace, making ready for the installation to commence in late March, according to the developer. The wind turbines will be installed by Cadeler’s newly delivered Wind Maker jack-up.
The full-scale offshore construction phase is said to involve over 40 international and domestic vessels, including crew transfer vessels, installation and support vessels, service operation vessels, and guard vessels, as well as 1,600-1,800 personnel at peak times.
The Greater Changhua 2b and 4 offshore wind farms are located next to the 900 MW Greater Changhua 1 and 2a, which are in full operation .
“Progress is advancing well with the onshore works, and we anticipate the offshore installation to be completed by the end of 2025. The wind farms are scheduled to be fully connected to the grid in 2026, fulfilling Ørsted’s commitments under the grid contract with Taiwanese authorities and the CPPA with our corporate customer,” said Jayaram Naidu , Managing Director of Greater Changhua Offshore Wind Farms at Ørsted.
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