Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and China Steel Corporation’s (CSC) 300MW Zhong Neng offshore wind farm has delivered first power.
Zhong Neng (pictured) received local content plan approval from the Taiwan government in November 2019 and is only the second wind farm in Taiwan’s offshore wind history to fulfill the highest localisation requirements, CIP said.
The first was the CIP-owned 600MW Changfang-Xidao array, which was recently inaugurated.
The first turbine at Zhong Neng was installed in May 2024 and a third of the hardware is now installed.
Completion of all offshore installation work is expected in the third quarter of 2024 followed by full grid connection by year-end.
Once fully operational, Zhong Neng will provide clean energy to approximately 300,000 households in Taiwan.
CIP partner Mads Skovgaard Andersen said: “We are very pleased to have reached this important project milestone in close collaboration with our partner, CSC.
“The successful delivery of first power demonstrates our joint project execution capabilities and I would like to thank all our partners and congratulate the Zhong Neng team for reaching this landmark.
“Zhong Neng achieving first power and last month’s inauguration of Changfang-Xidao are both significant contributions to Taiwan’s energy transition.”
Zhong Neng chairman Wang Shyi-chin added: “The concerted efforts of shareholders CSC and CIP, the Zhong Neng team, and our supplier and contractor partners have ensured that all foundations were fabricated and installed – and that the electrical facility was successfully completed earlier this year.
“These achievements have paved the way towards successful turbine installation and power generation and offshore construction has progressed smoothly since the first turbine installation was announced in May.
“We are committed to achieving full grid connection of the Zhong Neng project on schedule this year, which is not only our responsibility to our partners, but also our commitment to Taiwan’s energy transition.”
Since entering Taiwan in 2017, CIP has been committed to offshore wind on the island and has invested significantly in developing its offshore wind projects, supply networks and fostering a strong industry ecosystem, the company said.
CIP and other partners currently have three offshore wind projects in Taiwan with a combined capacity of approximately 1.4GW: Changfang-Xidao (600MW), Zhongneng (300MW), and Fengmiao (500MW).