Global offshore wind leader, Ørsted, has announced that with all the permits and EIA approvals in place, it is moving full speed ahead with full-scale offshore construction activities of the 900 MW Greater Changhua 1 and 2a offshore wind farms. In 2021, the company will begin to export and arrange cable laying and install the offshore substations and foundations, and proceed with wind turbine installation in 2022.

Located 35 - 60 km from the coastline of Changhua County, Taiwan, the first large-scale and far shore offshore wind farms in the country are scheduled to be finalised by 2022 to provide clean energy to 1 million households.

Ørsted has kicked off the horizontal directional drilling (HDD) to prepare for cable laying and scour protection work to ensure that the seabed is ready for foundation installation. The company is progressing well with the onshore construction, having completed the civil works of the two onshore substation main buildings and the upgrade work of hinterland at Wharfs 36 and 37 at the Port of Taichung, Taiwan, to store the key components for offshore installation.

Christy Wang, Ørsted Taiwan General Manager, says: “After nearly 1800 days of relentless hard work, we are now ready to commence all offshore installation. This is not an easy task, especially with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, but we have demonstrated our profound offshore wind project management experience and expertise to successfully secure the vessels and personnel, making it possible for us to be on time for the offshore construction. Together with a combination of foreign and domestic suppliers, Ørsted will ensure high performance of industrial Quality, Health, Safety and Environmental standards, fulfill our EIA commitments throughout the construction phase and deliver the wind farms on time.”