The second phase of the Formosa 1 offshore wind farm off the coast of Taiwan has generated its first power, according to developer Ørsted, with six of the eventual twenty wind turbines beginning to generate power in early September.
Formosa 1 offshore wind farm
Photo courtesy of Ørsted
Located approximately 2 to 6 kilometers off the coast of Miaoli County, the first phase of the Formosa 1 offshore wind farm was completed in April of 2017, comprised two 4 megawatt (MW) turbines which were installed in October 2016. The second phase of the project currently under construction consists of 20 6 MW offshore wind turbines supplied by Siemens Gamesa for a total of 120 MW. Upon completion, the project will total 128 MW, enabling it to supply electricity for the equivalent of 128,000 Taiwanese households.
The installation of the first new 6 MW wind turbines and their subsequent generation set a new milestone for Taiwan’s offshore wind industry and currently serves as a significant stepping stone towards the country’s ambition of installing 5.7 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity by 2025.
“First power from the second phase of Formosa 1 is a major milestone for the project before completion,” said Matthias Bausenwein, Formosa 1 Chairman and President of Ørsted Asia-Pacific. “An achievement by the Formosa 1 team and all our supply chain partners. Together with our joint venture partners, JERA, Macquarie Capital and Swancor, we’ll keep devoting our efforts to building Taiwan’s first offshore wind farm on time and within budget. Formosa 1 is committed to producing significant amounts of clean energy and contribute to Taiwan’s energy transition.”
Taiwan’s government awarded two batches of offshore wind capacity in 2018, starting out in May with the announcement of 3.8 GW of awarded offshore wind capacity and following it up a month later with 1.6 GW of capacity awarded. Taiwan is therefore setting itself up as the next major offshore wind location, and will likely face off against the United States to see who comes out on top over the next decade.
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