Greater Changhua 1

Location

The Greater Changhua 1 - South East wind farm is located in the Taiwan Strait, approximately 35-60 km off the coast of Changhua County, Taiwan.

Capacity and Ownership

• The Greater Changhua 1 wind farm has a total installed capacity of 605.2 MW.
• The project is co-owned by Ørsted (50%) and Mercury Taiwan Holdings, a consortium comprising Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and Cathay Private Equity (Cathay PE), which holds the remaining 50% stake.

Turbines and Infrastructure

• The wind farm is equipped with 75 Siemens Gamesa SG 8.0-167 DD offshore wind turbines, although the total number of turbines for the combined Greater Changhua 1 and 2a projects is 111.
• Each turbine has a rated capacity of 8 MW, a rotor diameter of 167 meters, and 81.4-meter-long blades, providing a swept area of 21,900 square meters. These turbines are designed to withstand typhoons, seismic activities, and extreme temperatures.

Construction and Timeline

• Onshore construction for the Greater Changhua 1 wind farm began in November 2019, while offshore construction commenced in March 2021.
• The final investment decision (FID) for the Greater Changhua 1 and 2a projects was made in May 2019.
• The wind farm was fully operational and inaugurated in April 2024.

Transmission and Substations

• The electricity generated is gathered by inter-array cables and transmitted to offshore substations. From there, it is further transmitted through export cables to two new onshore substations in the Changhua Coastal Industrial Park region.
• The transmission lines include 55 km-long, 230 kV export cables running from the offshore substation to the onshore landing point, and additional 4.35 km-long, 161 kV export cables connecting the onshore stations to the Taiwan Power Company-operated Chang One A substation.

Environmental and Social Impact

• The project underwent rigorous environmental and social impact assessments. Mitigation measures include financial compensation agreements with local fishers, continuous monitoring for bird mortality risks, and biodiversity assessments to minimize environmental impacts.

Economic and Social Benefits

• The Greater Changhua 1 and 2a wind farms combined can produce enough renewable energy to power approximately one million Taiwanese households annually, equivalent to 1.75 million tonnes of carbon dioxide reductions per year.
• The project has catalyzed Taiwan’s offshore wind ecosystem and is expected to provide long-term economic and social benefits to the region.

Contractors and Suppliers

• Key contractors involved include Taiwan Cogeneration Corporation (TCC) for onshore substations and related infrastructure, Siemens Gamesa for turbine supply, CSBC Corporation for wind turbine foundation pin-piles, and Sing Da Marine Structure Corporation for jacket foundations.

This project is a significant milestone in Taiwan's transition to renewable energy and solidifies Ørsted's commitment to delivering large-scale offshore wind projects in the Asia-Pacific region.