Taipei: Ëœrsted Energy announced the delivery of the first power from its 920-megawatt Greater Changhua 2b and 4 offshore wind farms, marking the first offshore project aimed at supplying renewable energy to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).
According to Focus Taiwan, the wind farms are situated 35 to 60 kilometers off the coast of Changhua County in western Taiwan. They will eventually feature 66 Siemens Gamesa 14-236 turbines, each with a capacity of 14 megawatts. Jayaram Naidu, managing director of the Greater Changhua offshore wind project, highlighted the significance of achieving first power within three months of installing the first subsea foundation in April. This achievement underscores Ëœrsted's project execution capabilities.
Naidu emphasized the successful collaboration with suppliers and contractors despite global challenges in the wind industry. He noted that this milestone marks the start of the next phase, which involves safely completing construction, energizing additional wind turbines, and progressing towards full commercial operation.
Christy Wang, chairperson of Ëœrsted Taiwan, stated that the milestone reaffirms Taiwan's leadership in offshore wind across the Asia-Pacific region. All renewable energy generated by the 920 MW wind farms will be supplied to TSMC through a 20-year corporate power purchase agreement, aiding TSMC in advancing its climate action and sustainability goals.
The project has seen rapid progress since a final investment was made in March 2023, with all 66 suction bucket jacket foundations and 32 turbines already installed. Two onshore substations and one offshore substation have been energized, while undersea cable laying continues on schedule.
This project is the first in Taiwan to use piling-free suction bucket jacket foundations, which Ëœrsted stated generate minimal noise during installation and can be fully removed at the end of the wind farm's operational life, thereby reducing potential impacts on marine ecosystems. The Greater Changhua 2b and 4 wind farms follow the company's 900 MW Greater Changhua 1 and 2a project, which began operations in April 2024.
Once fully operational, Ëœrsted's total installed offshore wind capacity in Taiwan will reach 1.82 gigawatts, sufficient to power approximately 2 million households and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 3.5 million metric tons annually. The Denmark-based renewable energy company noted that this will make it the largest contributor to Taiwan's offshore wind capacity to date.