Offshore installation begins at TPC Changhua wind farm

Jan De Nul has begun the offshore installation activities at Taiwan Power Company’s Changhua Phase 1 offshore wind project in Taiwan.

The company installed the first 12 pin piles out of 44 in the first phase of the work using Heerema Marine Contractors’ vessel Aegir.

Forty more pin piles will be shipped from the fabrication yard in South Korea to Taiwan in the coming weeks, Jan De Nul said.

In addition, Jan De Nul’s cable-laying vessel Willem de Vlamingh started with the installation of the submarine export cables, and the first out of four cables was pulled to the onshore junction box near Fangyuan.

The landfall works were executed by two of the company’s Starfishes, trenching excavators, and with the support of Hung Hua Construction.

“The COVID-19 outbreak has a severe impact on our activities,” said Peter De Pooter, Manager Renewables at Jan De Nul Group. “However, we have been able to take the first hurdles caused by this pandemic. It is a relief that we now have been able to start the actual installation works. We are fully determined to continue our engagement in the expansion of the offshore wind energy in Taiwan.”

The 109.2 MW Changhua Phase 1 project will comprise 21 5.2 MW turbines scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

The Jan De Nul-Hitachi consortium secured the contract for the project at the beginning of 2018. 

Jan De Nul is responsible for the design, fabrication and installation of the foundations, the installation of turbines, the supply and installation of the onshore and offshore cables, as well as for the upgrading of the substation.

Hitachi is in charge of manufacturing, assembly, operation and maintenance, and other works related to the turbines.