Danish energy company Ørsted has commenced offshore construction for the 920MW Greater Changhua 2b and 4 offshore wind farms in Taiwan.
Located around 35-60km off the coast of Changhua County, the Taiwanese offshore wind facilities comprise 66 Siemens Gamesa 14-236 DD turbines. Each turbine has a capacity of 14MW.
The wind farms are spread across an area of 185km² in water depths ranging from 23.8m to 44.1m.
Once fully operational, the Greater Changhua 2b and 4 projects are expected to contribute substantially to Taiwan’s clean energy targets.
Ørsted APAC region president Per Mejnert Kristensen said: “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 Ørsted’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.”
Ørsted was awarded the project in June 2018 and later secured a 20-year fixed-price corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA) in July 2020.
Under the agreement, a corporate customer will offtake the full electricity output from the wind farms.
Since reaching its final investment decision in 2023, the company has progressed with key development stages. These include the manufacturing of major components, civil works at the onshore substation, and vessel mobilisation to prepare for offshore construction.
The Greater Changhua 2b and 4 wind farms obtained all necessary environmental impact assessment approvals. Onshore substation construction at the Taiwanese offshore wind farms began in April 2023.
Offshore installation is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, with the first power from the facilities expected in Q3 2025. Full grid connection of the Greater Changhua 2b and 4 offshore wind farms is anticipated in 2026.
