German renewables developer Skyborn Renewables and its partners including Yunneng Wind Power, TotalEnergies, the Electricity Generating Public Company and Sojitz, have received financing for the 640MW Yunlin offshore wind farm project in Taiwan.

The extended financing agreement will help complete the wind farm’s construction, which was deferred due to the Covid-19 pandemic and has resulted in cost overruns.

Electricity generated from the 640MW wind farm will be sold to Taipower under two 20-year power purchase agreements.

The project will meet the energy needs of 600,000 Taiwanese homes and is considered a key priority project for Skyborn and its partners.

Skyborn Renewables CEO Thomas Karst stated: “This is a major milestone for the Yunlin project and the offshore wind industry in Taiwan. It demonstrates our commitment to Taiwan’s clean energy transition and underlines our project management capability.

“Thanks to the good cooperation of all stakeholders and the tenacity and dedication of the project team, the 2023 installation campaign is well on track and preparations for the 2024 installation campaign are almost completed.”

Located in the Taiwan Strait 8–17km off the country's western coast, the Yunlin offshore wind farm is being built at water depths between seven metres (m) and 35m.

It covers an area of 82km² and will feature 80 wind turbines, each with 8MW of generating capacity.

The electricity will be fed into the Taiwanese power grid via two onshore substations at Taixi and Sihu in Yunlin County.

The project is being built with an investment of €2.7bn ($2.94bn). Development began in 2016 and all approvals were secured in 2018, with construction activities commencing in 2020.

The wind farm achieved its first feed-in in November 2021.