Design completed for Formosa 1 Phase 2, Taiwan’s First Offshore Wind Farm

21.06.2019

Another important milestone in Taiwan’s green transition has taken place: the detailed design for Formosa 1 Phase 2 has been successfully delivered by COWI, following that of Phase 1 which became operational in April 2017. Construction of the 20 monopile foundations supporting Siemens Gamesa 6.0-154 turbines has commenced this month.

COWI entered the Asian wind energy market in 2013 and is the company behind the detailed designs for both Formosa 1 Phase 1 and Phase 2. Working in the Strait of Taiwan, 6 km off the coast, is geotechnically challenging and the engineers have to consider the impacts of earthquakes, typhoons and soil liquefaction. This is an area where COWI's wind team can rely on the consulting group’s expertise not only from offshore wind farms but also from its long history in bridge design. However, nothing beats local knowledge.

Jan Rønberg, Senior Market Director for Offshore Wind at COWI, finds working with the local supply chain of high importance: “We need to be close to our customers and be able to propose the best solutions for them. Working directly with the local supply chain brings valuable local knowledge and information into the project. Together we can offer both innovative and cost-effective solutions to our customers.”

Shu-Yung Chi, Project Director at SINOTECH Inc. adds: “Formosa 1 is the first offshore wind power project in Taiwan and a demonstration of what advanced engineering can do for the wind energy market. Integrating COWI's offshore wind power capabilities and SINOTECH's local engineering practices has been a pleasant and beneficial experience.”

Formosa 1 Phase 2 is being developed by a partnership of Ørsted(35%), JERA(32.5%), Macquarie Capital(25%) and Swancor Renewable Energy(7.5%).

Wind energy is a strategically important growth area for COWI that aims to double its wind business in the coming three years. In addition to four current wind farm projects in Taiwan, recent consultancy contracts include large-scale wind projects in US, France, Germany, India, Sri Lanka, Morocco and Ethiopia.