Turbine installation for TPC offshore wind farm kicks off

Jan De Nul’s Offshore Jack-Up Installation Vessel Taillevent successfully installed for Taiwan Power Company (TPC) the very first Hitachi turbine onto its jacket foundation.

With the first wind turbine installation completed, the project team will proceed with the commissioning process, along with the final termination of the subsea cable inside the tower.

The TPC Offshore Wind Farm near Fangyuan, eight kilometres off the West coast of Taiwan, will comprise in total 21 units of 5.2 MW wind turbines, each installed on a jacket with transition piece, anchored to the seabed by four steel pin piles.

“The successful installation of the first wind turbine on TPC’s first offshore wind farm is a remarkable achievement and the result of the good cooperation between Jan De Nul and Hitachi. We never lost sight of our goals, even in these unprecedented COVID-19 times. We look forward to producing green energy in Taiwan”, says Philippe Hutse, Director Offshore Division at Jan De Nul Group.

The project, in particular the wind turbine installation campaign, has suffered significant delays due to restrictions and new regulations implemented by authorities in Taiwan and around the globe as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Turbines with a downwind rotor

The TPC Offshore Wind Farm is constructed in a region where typhoons are very common. Consortium partner Hitachi Ltd. pioneered this design by obtaining the Wind Turbine Class T certification, an international standard on wind-resistant design recognising the need in regions subject to frequent typhoons.

“We are very proud of seeing our turbines installed in the open sea. Seeing this is a reward for all our staff who have put so many hours into this project. We would like to thank Jan De Nul for its remarkable support over the past years”, says Jiro Yasuda, General Manager of Renewable Energy Business at Hitachi.

The turbines are being installed by the Taillevent, specifically designed for the transport and installation of offshore wind turbines and foundations. The vessel measures approximately 140 m in length and is equipped with six spuds. She has an on-board crane with a lifting capacity of 1,000 tonnes and an auxiliary crane of 50 tonnes.

Construction of Taiwan’s first state-owned offshore wind farm

Jan De Nul Group started the construction works for the offshore wind farm back in September 2018 with the preparatory onshore cable duct installation works to connect the existing onshore sub-station to the cable interface near shore.

In 2019, fabrication of the different components were initiated. In April 2020, the first foundation components were readied for transportation from the South Korean fabrication yards to the offshore windfarm area.

In June 2020, Jan De Nul Group installed the first pin piles and connected the first export cable to shore. And by early August, Jan De Nul Group installed and anchored the very first jacket foundation to the seabed.

About Taiwan Power Company Offshore Windfarm Phase 1 Project – Demonstration

The ‘Offshore Windfarm Phase 1 Project – Demonstration’ was awarded to the Consortium Jan De Nul – Hitachi in February 2018.

Jan De Nul Group is responsible for the design, fabrication and installation of the foundations, the provision of the offshore vessel for the installation of the wind turbines, the supply and installation of the cables off- and onshore as well as upgrading an electrical substation. Hitachi Ltd. is in charge of manufacturing, assembly, installation and other works related to the offshore wind turbines with downwind rotor.

Subsequently, the Consortium is responsible for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of the offshore wind farm over five years.