Ørsted announced that the first turbine of the Greater Changhua 2b and 4 offshore wind farms has successfully connected to Taipower's grid and begun generating electricity. This 920 MW project represents a groundbreaking achievement as the world's first offshore wind farm specifically designed to supply green electricity to TSMC.
This milestone comes as Taiwan solidifies its position as a global offshore wind leader. According to the Global Wind Energy Council, Taiwan ranked fifth globally in total offshore wind installations in 2024, while Bloomberg statistics show Taiwan ranked second worldwide in new installed capacity for 2024. As of May 2025, Taiwan has completed 7 offshore wind farms with over 400 turbines installed, achieving total grid-connected capacity exceeding 3 GW, with projections of 4.7 GW by end-2025 and 5.3 GW by 2026.
The partnership addresses TSMC's accelerated sustainability goals. The semiconductor giant advanced its RE100 target from 2050 to 2040 in 2023, requiring new facilities starting with 3-nanometer processes to achieve at least 20% renewable energy usage. TSMC's company-wide renewable energy usage exceeded 14% in 2024, with targets of 25% green electricity by 2025, 60% by 2030, and full RE100 achievement by 2040.
TSMC is actively promoting a collaborative procurement initiative, centrally purchasing green electricity and opening participation to supply chain members. Over 50 domestic and international suppliers have signed agreements as of April, representing nearly 90% of TSMC's supply chain carbon emissions.
Credit: Ørsted
Located 35-60 kilometers offshore from Changhua County, the wind farm features 66 Siemens Gamesa 14-236 DD 14 MW turbines. The project introduces Taiwan's first pile-free suction bucket jacket foundation technology, which generates virtually no construction noise and allows complete removal during decommissioning, minimizing marine ecosystem impacts.
Since the March 2023 final investment decision, construction has progressed rapidly. All 66 foundations are installed, 32 turbines are in place, and both onshore and offshore substations are operational, with submarine cable installation proceeding on schedule.
"Since installing our first foundation in April, we achieved the first turbine grid connection in just three months, demonstrating excellent project execution," said Jayaram Naidu, CEO of Ørsted's Greater Changhua Offshore Wind Farm.
This marks Ørsted's second GW-scale offshore wind farm in Taiwan, following the 900 MW Greater Changhua 1 and 2a project completed in April 2024. Upon full completion, Ørsted's total Taiwan capacity will reach 1.82 GW, generating electricity for approximately 2 million households annually while reducing CO2 emissions by 3.5 million tons per year.
The 20-year corporate power purchase agreement with TSMC demonstrates how major corporations are driving Taiwan's transition toward net-zero transformation and reinforces Taiwan's leadership position in Asia-Pacific offshore wind development.
Article edited by Jack Wu
