Danish energy titan Orsted announced the grid connection of its Greater Changhua 1 and Greater Changhua 2a offshore wind farms in Taiwan.
Boasting a capacity of 900 MW, this groundbreaking project stands as Taiwan's inaugural world-class offshore wind endeavor. Notably, it also represents Orsted's first foray into large-scale offshore wind in the Asia-Pacific region and the largest operational offshore wind farm in the area.
Per Mejnert Kristensen, Orsted's Asia-Pacific President, remarked, "Greater Changhua 1 and Greater Changhua 2a signify Taiwan's debut into the gigawatt (GW) league of offshore wind farms. We stand ready to harness the immense potential for green energy transition that the Asia-Pacific region offers." It is projected to curtail carbon dioxide emissions by an impressive 1.75 million tons annually, with its clean electricity production equivalent to powering one million Taiwanese households for an entire year.
The project's realization was a collaborative effort, with over 200 local suppliers and downstream contractors playing pivotal roles in its construction. The wind farm's 333 underwater foundation piles were crafted by a consortium of local Taiwanese suppliers, including Century Iron And Steel Industrial, CSBC Corporation Taiwan, and Formosa Heavy Industries, along with the seasoned German supplier Erndtebrücker Eisenwerk. Impressively, three Taiwanese suppliers alone completed 210 of these foundation piles.
Further augmenting its commitment to renewable energy, Orsted inked a significant contract with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) to supply 111 turbines for the two wind farms. Notably, 75 of these turbines were assembled right in Taiwan. SGRE's involvement is particularly noteworthy as its turbine nacelle assembly plant in Taiwan is the Asia-Pacific region's first and only such facility outside of Europe.
In a strategic move, Orsted has also secured a grid capacity of 920 MW for its Greater Changhua 2b and Greater Changhua 4 projects. A corporate power purchase agreement was signed with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), with the wind farm's construction slated for completion by the end of 2025. This agreement commits TSMC to purchasing power from these wind farms for 20 years.
Reflecting on its renewable energy aspirations, TSMC stated in 2023 its continued pursuit of long-term green power procurement contracts in Taiwan. The objective is clear: to catalyze the development of a diverse and vibrant renewable energy industry.
Taiwan's renewable energy ambitions are ambitious and well-defined. The country's policy outlines a goal of achieving 5.6 GW in offshore wind capacity by 2025, escalating to 13.1 GW by 2030. Looking further ahead, Taiwan aims to soar towards a vision of 40 to 55 GW by 2050.
