On May 26, Ørsted announced that is has completed the installation of 36 foundations at the Greater Changhua 2a wind farm, with roughly 50% of jackets and more than 60% of pin piles being built for the 900MW Greater Changhua 1 & 2a offshore wind farms.
Installing foundations at wind farms requires considerable effort involving 500+ professionals, including vessel crews, hoist operators and construction workers, as well as more than 10 construction vessels. This includes heavy transport vessels capable of transporting three to four foundations simultaneously, air bubble curtain vessels for piling noise reduction, grouting vessels for foundation consolidation, guard vessels for smooth construction and crew transfer vessels, all of which must be managed precisely to facilitate efficiency construction.
Each jacket foundation for the Greater Changhua 1 & 2a wind farms weigh 1,200 tons with a height of 80 m (as high as a 30-floor building). During the transport and installation process, construction vessel and crew safety must be emphasized to ensure that the work meets the international quality, health, safety and environment (QHSE) standards.
Following the launch of offshore construction, vessel and crew management has been difficult because of unsettled weather and the pandemic. Ørsted emphasizes that the constant effort made by its Taiwanese and international partners plus regular communication between each other has enabled the construction of the Greater Changhua offshore wind farms to continue during the winter in Taiwan.
The initial stage of foundation installation for the Greater Changhua 2a wind farm has so far been accomplished. The power company says it will, by grasping each opportunity during weather windows, strive for the establishment of wind turbines and relevant construction work at the Great Changhua 1 & 2a wind farms.
(Photo credit: Ørsted)