Ørsted starts offshore work for Greater Changhua 2b and 4 windfarms

Located 35-60 km off the coast of Changhua County, 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 a corporate customer to offtake the full production of the windfarms. 

Ørsted president APAC Per Mejnert Kristensen said commencement of offshore construction “demonstrates Ørsted’s unwavering commitment to developing, constructing and operating large-scale offshore windfarms in Taiwan.”  

Ørsted manging director for the projects, Jayaram Naidu said, “Progress is advancing well with the onshore works, and we anticipate offshore installation will be completed by the end of 2025. 

“The windfarms 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.” 

The 920-MW project will use 66 Siemens Gamesa 14-236 DD 14 MW wind turbines, the largest of their kind to be deployed in the Taiwan Strait. It will also be the first use in the Asia Pacific region of environmentally friendly and piling-free suction bucket jacket (SBJ) foundations.

Since the company took a final investment decision in March 2023, Ørsted has begun manufacturing key components, completed civil work of the onshore substation, and mobilised vessels in preparation for offshore construction. 

Together with suppliers and contractors, the team has commenced seabed scour protection and is progressing with full-scale offshore construction, including installation of the offshore substation, foundations, wind turbines as well as laying array and export cables. 

The jacket, piles, and 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 installation will begin as soon as weather conditions permit. 

SBJ foundations and wind turbine components are arriving at the marshalling yard in the Port of Taichung at a steady pace, ready for the installation to start in late March. The full-scale offshore construction phase will 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. 

First power from the projects is estimated in Q3 2025. Offshore installation should be complete by the end of 2025 and the windfarms will be fully grid connected in 2026.