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Orsted claims Taiwan offshore wind breakthrough despite strong headwinds

Vyra Wu, DIGITIMES Asia, Taipei 0

Credit: Ørsted

Danish renewable energy giant Orsted is committed to its offshore wind projects in Taiwan.

Despite scrapping two US offshore wind projects last year amid a decline in market value and a ratings downgrade, Orsted remains unwavering in its pursuit of offshore wind construction endeavors in Taiwan. The wind farm developer has disclosed that the 900MW Greater Changhua 1 and 2a offshore wind farms have successfully generated clean electricity.

The projects have achieved a commendable reduction of 830,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. The results underscore the significant role played by large-scale offshore wind farms in realizing net zero.

In terms of both installed capacity and distance from the shore, Greater Changhua 1 and 2a stand out as Taiwan's largest and most remote offshore wind farm. Presently, 107 out of the total 111 turbines have been erected.

So far 85% of the turbines have been seamlessly integrated into the grid, contributing approximately 700MW. Greater Changhua therefore boasts the greatest grid-connected capacity for a single wind farm in Taiwan.

The 605MW Greater Changhua 1 project is a joint venture. Orsted holds a 50% ownership stake, alongside partners Caisse de dépôt et placement du Quebec (CDPQ) and Cathay PE, which jointly share the remaining 50%.

Making waves outside of Europe, Orsted's Taiwan Offshore Wind Farm Maintenance Centre at the Port of Taichung is an unprecedented facility, currently standing as the largest and most iconic offshore wind farm operations and maintenance base in the Asia-Pacific region. This facility is equipped to manage all operational and maintenance tasks for the complete 2.4GW capacity of the Greater Changhua wind farm clusters upon full delivery.

As Orsted approaches the final stages of the 900MW Greater Changhua 1 and 2a projects, the company forges ahead with the ambitious 920MW Greater Changhua 2b and 4 offshore wind farms. The two future projects are slated for completion by the end of 2025, with TSMC committed to undertaking the entire production.