Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) has officially inaugurated the Changfang-Xidao offshore wind farms in Taiwan with a combined capacity of 600MW.

The two wind farms will enhance Taiwan's offshore wind capacity by 25%.

Located 11km offshore west Taiwan, the Changfang-Xidao offshore wind farms consist of 62 Vestas V174 turbines, each with a 9.5MW capacity.

Their jacket foundations were provided by Taiwanese company Century Wind Power.

The wind farms will supply renewable energy to 650,000 local households and are anticipated to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1.1 million tonnes annually.

The Changfang-Xidao project is CIP's inaugural venture into the Asia-Pacific offshore wind market.

With a portfolio of 21GW in the region, CIP is an important player in the offshore wind sector, with developments in Taiwan, Korea and Australia.

CIP senior partner Christina Grumstrup Sørensen stated: “The inauguration of Changfang-Xidao is a landmark for CIP as well as for the offshore wind industry in Taiwan. In the past seven years, the development and construction team, suppliers, partners and shareholders have demonstrated the power of close collaboration.

“Together we have successfully constructed a project that makes a meaningful contribution to Taiwan’s energy transition and that plays a significant role in the establishment of the local offshore wind industry – and will support Taiwan’s long-term offshore wind ambitions.”

The majority ownership of the Changfang-Xidao wind farms lies with CIP's flagship funds CI II and CI III. Minority stakes are held by Thailand's Global Power Synergy Public Company and two Taiwanese insurers, Taiwan Life and Transglobe Life.

The construction of the project was led by Copenhagen Offshore Partners, which is CIP's offshore wind development partner, and the Copenhagen Infrastructure Service Company which provides services to CIP.

The financial close for the Changfang and Xidao project was achieved in February 2020, raising $3bn (T$90bn) in project financing from a consortium of banks, financial institutions and export credit agencies.

CIP and its partners have two other Taiwanese offshore wind projects: the 300MW Zhongneng and the 500MW Fengmiao.

Zhongneng, under construction and expected to commence operations in 2025, is a collaboration between CI IV and the China Steel Corporation.

Fengmiao, owned by CI V, is aiming for a final investment decision by the end of 2024 and operational status by 2027.