Japanse-Danish OEM MHI Vestas and developer Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) have finalised commercial agreements for the Changfang and Xidao wind projects off Taiwan that have a combined capacity of 589MW.
The orders, which represent MHI Vestas’ first projects in the Asia Pacific region to reach a financial close, will feature 62 of the company’s top-of-the-line V174-9.5MW turbines.
“As our first firm orders in Asia Pacific, Changfang and Xidao are landmark contracts for our business and for our market position in Taiwan,” said MHI Vestas chief sales officer Henrik Jensen.
“We look forward to bringing our trusted V174-9.5 MW, an IEC T [typhoon proof] classified turbine, along with local, green energy jobs to the people of Taiwan.”
The V174-9.5MW, the prototype of which is currently being tested at Denmark’s National Test Centre in Østerild, has been sold on a preferred supplier basis to a number of projects, including in Japan – Hibikinada – and the US –Vineyard Wind, with the model set to make its debut in Europe at Iberdrola's Baltic Eagle project off Germany.
The machine, which is based on its V164 model “with limited design changes”, will fly 85-metre-long blades, rather than the V164’s 80-metre model, to power a two-stage geared transmission system. The turbine a swept area of 23,779m2.
MHI Vestas has successively scaled up the power nameplate of the V164 since the concept was first unveiled in 2011, with first 8MW units installed off the UK in 2016, and now has a 10MW version heading for installation on wind farms including the 30MW Gulf of Lion floating project planned for deployment in 2022.
CIP last week had announced its financial close for the two projects that are part of Taiwan’s ambition to reach an offshore wind capacity of 5.5GW by 2025.
The projects will be split out over several phases: Changfang Phase 1 will comprise 10 turbines for an installed capacity of 95MW to be installed in 2022. Changfang Phase 2, comprising 47 turbines with an installed capacity of 446.5MW, and Xidao, comprising 5 turbines with an installed capacity of 47.5MW, to be installed in 2023.
Ahead of the projects, MHI Vestas and CIP had cooperated to help building up a local supply chain on Taiwan, which is slated to create 5,300 jobs and contribute €264m ($287m) to the local economy, according to MHI.
· With additional reporting by Darius Snieckus