DNV, the independent energy expert and assurance provider, has signed a USD 17.7 million (NOK 150 million) contract to be the "Owner’s Engineer" for Taipower Offshore Wind Project Phase II (Changhua Phase II) in Taiwan. It is the largest offshore wind farm being developed solely by Taiwan Power Company (‘Taipower’).
The work scope lasting into the second half of 2025 will see DNV’s international and local experts support project engineering reviews and marine coordination during wind farm construction.
The scope over the project life cycle right through to commissioning includes design review, fabrication assurance, and construction assurance. Detailed design of the 31-turbine project is due this year, with the wind farm scheduled to be online by autumn 2025.
Taiwan is set to become Asia Pacific’s second largest offshore wind market. Taiwan aims to generate 20% of its electricity from renewables by 2025. By then, 5.7 GW of installed capacity is scheduled to be available from offshore wind farms including, among others, Changhua Phase II and TPC’s earlier 109.2 MW Changhua Phase I. The government wants another 10 GW of offshore wind installed between 2026 and 2036.
According to DNV, the company is assisting several local Taiwan firms, including GIBSIN, to be ready to benefit from renewables expansion.
"This support includes providing know-how on state-of-the-art construction, gained from DNV’s work with energy systems customers globally," DNV said.
Minghui Zhang, Head of Section Taiwan for Renewables Advisory at DNV said: “We are committed to help local developers in Taiwan and elsewhere assess the risks and to assist local stakeholders to achieve their renewable energy goals. In our experience, partnering with local companies can eliminate some uncertainties in local business environments.”
For example, DNV says it is supporting industry efforts globally to reduce from seven to five years – and eventually less – the time taken to construct large offshore wind farms.
“Lessons from building and installing offshore wind farms globally, and from developing ports and infrastructure for seamless execution, can help to streamline such projects. This will be useful in spearheading the regional offshore wind markets development – such as in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam – which DNV’s team are already supporting,” Zhang said.
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