Jumbo Ørsted wind farms come on line offshore Taiwan

Ørsted’s Greater Changhua 1 and 2a offshore wind farms are in operation in Taiwan and their combined 900 MW of capacity are fully connected to the grid, the company announced on Thursday.

Together, the farms are the largest offshore wind project in the Asia-Pacific region and will double Taiwan’s offshore wind capacity.

Greater Changhua 1 has a capacity of 605.2 MW and is co-owned by Ørsted and Mercury Taiwan Holdings, a consortium of CDPQ, a global investment group, and Cathay PE, who have a combined ownership stake of 50%. Greater Changhua 2a is 100% owned by Ørsted and has a capacity of 294.8 MW. Both farms run with Siemens Gamesa SG 8.0-167 DD wind turbines.

“This project has spearheaded the establishment of the local offshore wind industry as well as contributed significantly to Taiwan’s energy transition and net-zero goals,” said Per Mejnert Kristensen, Ørsted’s CEO for the APAC region.

Greater Changhua 1 is fitted with ReCoral by Ørsted, a proof-of-concept trial in partnership with the Penghu Marine Biology Research Center, which studies whether offshore wind turbine foundations can provide a suitable environment for corals to thrive.

Ørsted is currently constructing the Greater Changhua 2b and 4 offshore wind farms for an additional 920 MW. They are expected to be completed by the end of 2025.

Photo by Shaun Dakin