Orsted installs first foundation at Changhua 2b&4 offshore wind farms in Taiwan

Orsted has completed the installation of the first suction bucket jacket foundation for the 920MW Greater Changhua 2b and 4 offshore wind farms in Taiwan.

Heerema Marine Contractors’ heavy lift vessel, Aegir, is currently installing the foundations for the 920 MW Greater Changhua 2b & 4 offshore wind project. This development will feature 66 Siemens Gamesa 14-236 DD wind turbines, each mounted on SBJ (suction bucket jacket) foundations, marking the first large-scale use of this type in the Asia-Pacific offshore wind sector. The foundations are being manufactured and supplied by HSG Sungdong in South Korea and Petrovietnam Technical Services Corporation (PTSC) in Vietnam, with each company providing 33 units.

All 66 SBJ foundations have completed manufacturing and inspection and are now entering the full-scale transportation and installation stage. The Greater Changhua 2b and 4 offshore wind farms are situated off Taiwan’s southwest coast, adjacent to the fully operational 900 MW Greater Changhua 1 and 2a projects, which were also developed by Ørsted. 

The SBJ foundation is designed to minimize disruption to the seabed, produce virtually no noise during installation, and allow for complete removal once the wind farm is decommissioned. With all 66 SBJ foundations now fully manufactured and inspected, the project is progressing into the full transportation and installation phase. The next milestone for the company is the installation of the project’s first 14 MW wind turbine.