After the first offshore wind farm Phase 1 joining the array of power generation and the official initiation of the Chang-Yi Switching Station that serves as the grid for the first off shore wind farm in Taiwan during 2021, the second offshore wind farm of Taiwan Power Company (TPC) had begun groundbreaking today (3rd) at a capacity of 294.5MW, and is scheduled for completion and grid connection by the end of 2025.
TPC commented that the development of offshore wind power is witnessing how Taiwan’s progression in green energy has been marching from onshore to offshore, and the company has joined hands with a 100% local team for the implementation of Phase 2, with the groundbreaking for onshore electrical control rooms officially commencing today. Offshore engineering is scheduled to begin in 2024, followed by commercial power generation in 2025 that will provide 1 billion kWh of green power each year then, which is the equivalent of annual power consumption from nearly 240K households, as well as an annual carbon reduction of approximately 500K tons each year.
Hsu Chao-hua, Vice President of TPC, commented that Phase 2 had initiated back in June 2020. The company overcame various challenges, including the pandemic and extreme climate, alongside the 100% local team, and managed to complete preliminary sea area drilling and survey, as well as wind farm designs, before officially obtaining the license for construction during September. Hsu hopes that Phase 2 will be implemented with no hiccups, and should aim to fulfill multiple missions and expectations that include stable power supply, energy transformation, and upgrades in the local wind power industry.
TPC has invested NT$62.88 billion in Phase 2 since its initiation in June 2020, with Foxwell Power, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shinfox Energy, serving as the EPC company that is responsible for 5 years of operation maintenance, and will be installing 31 units of wind turbines (9.5MW each) that total 294.5MW in installed capacity. The onshore electrical control room that begun groundbreaking today is handled by domestic company Star Energy, and functions as a key relay point between the offshore wind farm and the Chang-Yi Switching Station. Completion is scheduled for 2024.
Foxwell Power is the first local EPC company for offshore wind power in Taiwan, and had signed with international wind turbine supplier Vestas on the supply and maintenance of 31 units of 9.5MW wind turbines at the end of 2021, as well as an EPC contract with Star Energy during the same year for onshore electrical control rooms that will connect to the TPC’s grid. In addition, Foxwell Power had signed with local companies Century and Century Wind Power for procurement of underwater foundations. Foundations for Phase 2 have now begun in production, and are expected to be successively delivered starting from the first quarter of 2024.
Star Energy had taken over the onshore transmission system engineering for the 900MW Greater Changhua offshore wind farm, which was completed and had connected to the grid during May this year. TPC pointed out that the underwater foundations that are simultaneously being manufactured right now are also assisted by local companies Century and Century Wind Power. Offshore substations, production of sea and land cables, as well as production and pre-assembling of wind turbines, will initiate successively starting from next year.
(Simulation for Phase 2 depicted in cover photo; source: TPC)