Tien Li Offshore Wind Technology has broken ground on a new 210,000 square metre blade production facility in Taichung Harbour that will supply MHI Vestas blades for offshore wind farms in Taiwan and the Asia Pacific.
MHI Vestas said the plant will cost NT$3bn (€89m) and feature a production hall and storage area once complete. It is due to be operational in 2021.
Taichung Harbour infrastructure is also being upgraded during the building work so that it can handle turning radius requirements for the transportation of completed blades.
MHI Vestas chief supply chain officer Robert Borin said: “Tien Li’s facility in Taichung Harbour will be a sight to behold once completed, as it will be producing some of the largest blades in the world for installation offshore in Asia.
“The ground-breaking on this facility is a key milestone, and we look forward to working with Tien Li throughout this process as they ramp up to be a key supply chain partner to MHI Vestas in Asia-Pacific.”
The factory will supply blades for MHI Vestas’ V174 platform from next year and will employ over 500 people.
MHI Vestas will help Tien Li train new employees to make the components.
Tien Li general manager Jay Hsu said: “We are leading Asia-Pacific in the manufacture of blades and we are excited about the scale of our future marketplace at home and further afield.
“Taking the time to perfect our processes and achieve great efficiencies on current platforms today means that we will be ready to lead the world on new platforms in the late 2020s.”