Siemens Gamesa's 8 MW turbine will in all likelihood be used by Danish energy company and offshore wind major Ørsted for completing the first phase of its 900 MW Greater Greater Changhua project.

According to a corporate announcement, Ørsted has nominated Siemens Gamesa as preferred supplier of offshore wind turbines for the project.

The wind farm is planned to be commissioned in 2021, and Siemens Gamesa has committed to establishing a local nacelle assembly facility in Taiwan, and 112 turbine towers will also be sourced from local suppliers.

"As the market leader in offshore wind, we have more than 20 years of experience in developing local supply chains, and we share the government’s ambition of making the Changhua offshore wind farms not just a cornerstone in Taiwan's green transition, but also a vehicle for kick-starting a new industry," says Ørsted Offshore Wind CEO Martin Neubert.

If Siemens Gamesa gets a firm and final order, it will be the largest of its kind in Asia Pacific.

Not surprisingly, Siemens Gamesa is very pleased with Ørsted's decision.

"We're glad that our long-term partnership with Ørsted continues to grow in Asia Pacific. It's on Ørsted's request and to meet the schedule of the first 900MW Greater Changhua projects that we would implement an accelerated set-up of a nacelle assembly facility in Taichung Harbour to start production in 2021, ahead of the timeline communicated by the government for localization activities," says Andreas Nauen, CEO of the Offshore Business Unit at Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy.

The project is subject to certain conditions, such as the signing of a power purchase agreement by the end 2018 and Ørsted’s final investment decision expected in March 2019, writes Ørsted.

English Edit: Lisa Castey Hall Nielsen

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