One of Taiwan’s largest near-shore floating solar projects completes

Ciel & Terre Taiwan and HEXA Renewables have concluded one of Taiwan’s largest near-shore floating solar projects, situated within the Changbin Industrial Park in Changhua County.

The entire floating solar project of the Changbin Industrial zone is about 440 MWp, having Ciel & Terre Taiwain representing 280 MWp.

Changbin #3 and #4, together having 192.3 MWp, are extensions of the former Changbin floating solar project that was built in Taiwan in 2020, in the same zone. Yearly, this project generates about 260 GWh, reducing 138,000 tons of CO2, which comes to about 65,000 average yearly household energy consumption.

Construction for the Changbin #3 and #4 projects commenced in October 2022, with the first commercial operation date (COD) being achieved in October 2023. Spanning across 171 hectares of water surface in a nearly protected intertidal area, these projects feature several large arrays, said the firm.

In addition to being one of the largest, it was one of the most technically challenging near-shore floating solar projects, according to Ciel & Terre Taiwan. One of the challenges was the waves and tides which are quite demanding for the anchoring in a cyclonic zone, for which the company created an innovative anchoring system that distributes the anchoring loads according to the tide level.

“There are 3 engineers on site providing assembly training and inspection to make sure all the Hydrelio parts and anchoring connection are mounted correctly,” said George Wang and Bess Chang, Project Managers of Changbin #3 #4 project for Ciel et Terre Taiwan

“As we are the designer and manufacturer of our own floating solar solutions, we have also 2 Quality engineers taking responsibility for product quality and delivery, to make sure all the products are met with the highest quality standards prior to delivery. On a normal day, there were 12 to 15-wheeler wing vans to deliver the FPV system, capable of achieving around 20 MW installed capacity in a month.”

Changbin #3 and #4 projects are distinctive due to the development of a patented technology named the New Pillar Anchoring Solution, achieved through the collaboration of the two firms.

This project stands out as the first large-scale endeavor to utilize concrete pillars and an H-beam system for anchoring design. 

In ensuring the reliability of this innovative anchoring solution, Ciel & Terre Taiwan engaged experts from various fields, including marine engineering, plastic mold manufacturing, structural engineering, and hydraulic engineering, for the refinement of both individual parts and the overall structure.

The completion of the Changbin #3 and #4 projects reflects the joint endeavors of Ciel & Terre Taiwan and HEXA Renewables in propelling renewable energy initiatives in Taiwan. 

With a focus on innovative technology, strategic partnerships, and extensive construction assistance, this near-shore floating solar endeavor establishes a new standard for sustainable energy production, as the firm said. 

Regarding recent news from the company, Ciel & Terre completed the anchoring and is assembling the floating system for the Saint-Savin floating solar project in Isère, France.

The Saint Savin is an 11 MWp floating solar project being developed by Énerg’isère and EGREGA on a gravel pit. Ciel & Terre announced that the anchoring phase is done, and the process of assembling the floating system is underway.