Orsted has started the offshore construction for the 920MW Greater Changhua 2b and 4 offshore wind farms in Taiwan.
Orsted was awarded the offshore wind farms in June 2018, and two years later, the company signed a 20-year fixed-price corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA) for a corporate customer to offtake the full production of the wind farms.
Orsted’s president of the APAC region Per Mejnert Kristensen said: “The commencement of offshore construction for the Greater Changhua 2b and 4 demonstrates Orsted’s unwavering commitment to developing, constructing, and operating large-scale offshore wind farms in Taiwan.
“As the first offshore wind farms in Taiwan backed by a CPPA, they not only demonstrate the confidence our customer and the market have in Orsted’s industry-leading technical expertise and extensive experience but also set a significant benchmark for long-term partnerships between businesses and the industry for renewable energy as well as the vital role of offshore wind in building a low-carbon economy.”
The wind farms are located 35-60km off the coast of Changhua County, Taiwan.
Since its final investment decision in March 2023, Orsted has begun the manufacturing of the key components, completed civil work of the onshore substation, and started mobilising vessels to prepare the offshore construction.
The Greater Changhua 2b and 4 offshore wind farms are expected to complete offshore installation by the end of 2025 and be fully connected to the grid in 2026.
They will comprise 66 Siemens Gamesa turbines, each with a capacity of 14MW.
Once completed, Orsted will reach a combined operational offshore wind capacity in Taiwan of nearly 2GW, producing clean energy enough to power two million Taiwanese households.
The company currently has 9.9GW of operational offshore wind capacity installed across three continents, with an additional 8.4GW of offshore wind under construction.
Photo: The Greater Changhua 2b and 4 wind farms will use the piling-free technology of suction bucket jacket foundation technology for the first time in the Asia-Pacific region