Hai Long 2A offshore wind project marks progress with Siemens Gamesa installing the first SG 14-222 turbine on the farm. The nacelles are Siemens’ flagship, and are also produced in the country. The over 1 GW Hai Long is currently Taiwan’s largest offshore wind project to date, and will be connected to the grid by 2026. Once fully commissioned, the wind project is expected to power up to a million Taiwanese homes annually.
Hai Long Offshore Wind Project Factsheet
Location: 45 to 70 kilometers (km) off the coast of Changhua County, Taiwan
Developer: Mitsui & Co., Northland Power, and Gentari Joint Venture
Cost: USD 6.5 billion
Capacity: 1,022 Megawatts (MW)
Project construction facets: 3 – Hai Long 2A, 2B, and Hai Long 3
Hai Long 2A Wind Project
Installation capacity: 294 MW
Distance to shore: 45 – 55 km
Water depth: 35 – 55 meters (m)
Hai Long 2B
Installation capacity: 224 MW
Distance to shore: 45 – 55 km
Water depth: 35 – 55 m
Hai Long 3 Wind Project
Installation capacity: 504 MW
Distance to shore: 50 – 70 km
Water depth: 40 – 55
Turbine supplier: Siemens Gamesa
Start of construction date: April 2024
Current phase: Offshore turbine installation
Project commissioning date: By end of 2026
More on the wind project
After breaking ground just over a year ago, the Hai Long offshore wind project in Taiwan has so far witnessed tremendous progress.
The construction stretch of 2024 saw the fabrication of essential wind farm components alongside the installation of offshore substation for the Hai Long 2. Hai Long 3 also had its substation jacket foundation installed during the same period. And to culminate on 2024’s achievements for the wind project, was installation of wind turbine foundations for the Hai Long 2. These set precedence for what is expected of the project this year.
2025 Project milestones
The Hai Long wind project had the following project milestones set for 2025. Topping the unordered list is the transportation and installation of offshore topside for Hai Long 3. This is followed by wind turbine installation for Hai Long 2, and the setting of foundations for the Hai Long 3. And lastly, Subsea cable laying and system testing as the final bit ahead of project completion and commissioning late this year and next year.
The latest milestone featuring Hai Long 2 wind turbine installation not only marks definitive progress, but also exemplifies the project teams’ commitment. Turbine installation is being carried out by the Green Jade vessel. The vessel is owned by CDWE, and is also Taiwan’s first marine installation vessel. It also features a 360-degress rotating crane that will come in handy during the installation process.
Siemens’ flagship turbines at the wind farm
Siemens’ flagship SG 14-222 offshore wind turbines have a 222-meter rotor diameter, and stand at a height of 230 meters. It is also said to have 25% more energy production compared to its predecessor.
The turbine nacelles were also, not only produced in Siemens’ Taichung plant in the Taiwan, but also fully assembled in the country. This denotes what Hai Long and Siemens Gamesa call as a push to “work[ing] with the local supply chain”. These efforts are in themselves concerted to boost the local economy and workforce. To also underscore this push is the deployment of approximately 40 vessels for offshore construction activities alongside 1,200 persons for the operations.
The Hai Long Offshore Wind Project In Forecast
The Hai Long wind project will not only be Taiwan’s largest single offshore wind development project, but also a stepping stone to reaching the country’s 15 GW offshore wind capacity by 2035.
According to the European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan (ECCT), Taiwan’s current offshore wind capacity stands at 3.04 GW. This, according to the non-profit organization representing European business interests in Taiwan, places Taiwan seventh in the world. This value is projected to rise to estimates of 5.6 GW by 2026, 20.6 GW by 2035, and 40-55 GW by 2050.
