Formosa 2 is a 372MW offshore wind farm located off the coast of Taiwan. It was developed by a joint venture of JERA (49%), Macquarie’s Green Investment Group (26%), and Swancor Renewable Energy (25%), a subsidiary of Swancor Holding.
The wind farm is a part of the zonal development programme being implemented by the Taiwan Government, which is aiming to add 5.5GW of wind power to its energy mix by 2025.
Recommended White Papers
Recommended Buyers Guides
Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs Bureau of Energy has approved three Formosa wind farm projects as part of its goal to commission more than 1,000 wind turbines by 2030.
Onshore construction of the wind farm began in November 2019 and the offshore installation activities began in 2020.
The wind farm commenced operations in September 2023. It can generate enough electricity to power 380,000 households each year.
Formosa 2 provides Taiwan with clean energy and assists in its transition towards using more renewable energy. It is expected to displace 18,750 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide over its lifespan.
Location of the Formosa 2 wind farm
Formosa 2 is situated in the Strait of Taiwan, which separates the island from mainland China, 40nm from the port of Taichung in Miaoli County.
Adjacent to the Formosa 1 wind farm, the Formosa 2 site is 3.8km off Taiwan’s west coast, with the furthest point of the project 9.5km from the shore.
Formosa 2 offshore wind farm milestones
The project consists of two licensed areas, which were awarded by the Taiwanese Bureau of Energy.
The system impact analysis with Taiwan Power Company YingPan substation was successfully completed along with the environmental impact assessment process, the establishment permit and the construction permit process with authorisation from the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
The project also obtained support from Taiwan Power Company through a 20-year power purchase agreement.
Formosa 2 offshore wind farm turbine details
Formosa 2 consists of 47 Siemens SG 8.0-167 DD wind turbines. The turbines have a rotor diameter, hub height, and blade length of 167m, 116.4m, and 81.5m respectively, with a swept area of 21,900m² each.
The turbines have a voltage of 690V and a 50Hz frequency. They provide optimal power for offshore projects and are designed to withstand adverse conditions.
Each turbine’s nominal power is 8MW.
The pitch-regulated turbines have variable speeds and are installed on jacket foundations in a water depth of 55m.
Installation of the turbine foundations was completed in 2022 while turbine installation works were completed in January 2023. All turbines were connected to the grid by March 2023.
Technology used in Siemens’ offshore wind turbines
The Siemens wind turbines use efficient direct drive technology, which minimises the wear and tear of components while improving efficiency through a permanent magnet generator.
The turbines also use the High Wind Turbine Ride Through system that stabilises energy output and helps in shutting down the turbine when the wind speed exceeds 25 metres per second.
The turbine blades are developed using Siemens’ IntegralBlade technology, which enables a fibreglass-reinforced epoxy blade to be cast in one piece and deliver optimum quality to the turbines.
Inbuilt sensors have remote diagnostics capabilities and assist in the detection of issues inside the turbines while preempting possible failures.
The sensors also help in analysing vibration patterns, fine-tuning the service plan, and reducing serious damage.
Financing
A consortium of 20 international and local Taiwanese financial institutions provides the overall financing required for the development and construction of the project, which is estimated to be T$62.4bn ($2.04bn).
Contractors involved in the Formosa 2 offshore wind farm
Jan De Nul Group, a dredging and marine construction services provider, won the engineering, construction and installation contract for the foundations and subsea cables of the Formosa 2 in June 2019.
The contract included fabrication, installation, and designing of the foundations, except for the designing, supplying, and installing of the subsea cables.
Saipem, an engineering and construction company, was subcontracted by Jan de Nul for the fabrication of 32 foundation jackets for wind turbine generators while Sembcorp Marine, an engineering solutions company, was contracted for the fabrication of the remaining 15 jacket foundations.
Tarpon Energy Services, an engineering and construction contractor, was subcontracted by Saipem to undertake electrical installation works.
Subsea 7’s renewables and heavy lifting unit, Seaway 7, was subcontracted by Jan de Nul for transporting, prepiling, and installation of 47 jacket foundations for the wind turbines.
LS Cable, a cable manufacturing company, was subcontracted by Jan de Nul to supply 34.5km of export cables and 87km of interarray cables.
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, a renewable energy solutions provider, was awarded the contract to supply 47 8MW offshore wind turbines for Formosa 2.
The deal also includes a 20-year full-service agreement, under which the company provides full services for the turbines, including the provision of spare parts and tools, as well as ensuring the plant performs optimally.
Fortune Electric, a power equipment manufacturer, was contracted to supply the onshore power system while Taiwan International Ports provided the assembly pier rental for the offshore wind farm.
JF Renewables’ subsidiary, EDS HV Group, secured a contract to provide HV support services for the wind farm in September 2022.
DORIS, an engineering, advisory and project management company, provided consultancy services, including WTG technical and commercial package management, foundation design and site investigation.
EEW Group, a steel pipes manufacturer, supplied foundation components, and MMA Offshore, a marine and subsea solutions provider, was involved in a preinstallation noise mitigation survey for the project.
Correll Group, an engineering, installation, and maintenance services company, provided cable repair services for the Formosa 2 wind farm project.
