Yunlin Phase 1&2

Yunlin Offshore Wind Farm Profile

Location and Project Area

The Yunlin Offshore Wind Farm is located in the Taiwan Strait, approximately 8 to 17 kilometers off the west coast of Taiwan. The project spans an area of 82 square kilometers, which is about 6% of the Yunlin sea area.

Project Developers and Ownership

The Yunlin Offshore Wind Farm is developed by Yunneng Wind Power Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Skyborn Renewables (previously known as wpd). The project is owned by a consortium that includes Skyborn Renewables (25%), Electricity Generating Public Company (25%), TotalEnergies (23%), and a Japanese consortium comprising Sojitz, ENEOS, Chugoku Electric Power, Chudenko, and Shikoku Electric Power (27%).

Capacity and Wind Turbines

The wind farm has a total capacity of 640 MW, which will be generated by 80 SG 8.0-167 DD offshore wind turbines supplied by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. Each turbine has a power generating capacity of 8 MW, with a rotor diameter of 167 meters and a swept area of 21,900 square meters. The turbines are installed on monopiles, each with a diameter of 10 meters and weighing approximately 2,000 tonnes.

Foundation and Installation

The installation of all 80 monopile foundations has been completed as of August 2024. The foundations were manufactured by Steelwind Nordenham and Taiwan-based Formosa Heavy Industries (FHI), with transition pieces supplied by Smulders and CTCI Machinery. The installation process involved several contractors, including Fred. Olsen Windcarrier and Van Oord.

Power Transmission

The electricity generated by the wind farm will be transmitted to the shore via a 270km-long subsea cable system. The power will be fed into the Taiwanese power grid through two onshore substations located in the Taixi and Sihu townships in Yunlin County. These substations were designed and constructed by General Electric.

Power Purchase Agreement

The project is backed by a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower). The power tariff under the PPA is $250/MWh for the first ten years and $125/MWh for the remaining ten years.

Construction Timeline and Milestones

• Financial Close and Construction Start: Financial close was achieved in May 2019, and construction began in May 2020.
• First Turbine Installation: The first turbine was installed in April 2021 and connected to the national grid in November 2021.
• Current Status: As of August 2024, all 80 foundations have been installed, 68 wind turbine generators have been installed (with 52 already generating electricity), 56 out of 69 inner array grids, and all 12 export cables are in place. The project is expected to be fully completed by the end of 2024.

Environmental and Social Impact

The project has implemented several environmental and social initiatives. Yunneng’s "Black-faced Spoonbill Tracking Program" uses GPS technology to monitor the habitat and migration patterns of the endangered Black-faced Spoonbill, identifying new activity hotspots and recording flight paths. The project has also committed to local content by partnering with local manufacturers and using locally built crew transfer vessels.

Financial and Structural Aspects

The estimated investment for the project is approximately €2.7 billion ($3.02 billion). The project faced financial restructuring due to cost overruns and delays, but necessary approvals were received from Taiwanese authorities in August 2023 to complete the financial restructuring.

Challenges and Setbacks

The project has encountered several challenges, including conflicts with local fishermen, technical and operational issues leading to the termination of contracts with Sapura Energy, and incidents during the installation of monopiles. Despite these setbacks, the project remains on track for completion by the end of 2024.

Expected Impact

Once completed, the Yunlin Offshore Wind Farm will generate approximately 2.4 TWh of clean energy annually, sufficient to power around 605,000 Taiwanese households. The project is crucial for supporting Taiwan’s transition to renewable energy and reducing its reliance on fossil fuels.