Skyborn's 640MW Yunlin project in Taiwan completes final turbine installation
Project deploying 80 Siemens Gamesa 8MW units will come in four years late after ownership changes and stalled construction
Siemens Gamesa installed the eightieth and final 8MW turbine Wednesday at the 640MW Yunlin array, Taiwan’s second largest offshore wind project.
Yunlin was awarded in the nation’s first procurement round in 2018 and had been slated for completion in 2020. It is now on track for commissioning before the end of this year.
In Taiwan, only Orsted's operational 900MW 1&2a array is larger.
“Thanks to the dedication of our team and partners, the project is on track to deliver on its promise and fully commission the Yunlin OWF by the end of 2024,” said Skyborn Renewables, which is now leading the project.
Originally led by Germany’s Wpd and now by Skyborn Renewables — owned by US private equity giant Global Infrastructure Partners — the project consortium also includes French oil major TotalEnergies, Thai utility Electricity Generating Public Company Ltd. (EGCO) and Japanese trading house Sojitz.
The project was among the first offshore wind projects awarded generous government feed-in-tariff subsidies averaging TWD5,000/MWh ($160/MWh), which have since been phased out in the ongoing Round 3.
Despite these generous rates, the wind farm struggled to get steel in the water.
It had trouble finding locally made components under strict localisation requirements which have only grown more stringent in the Round 3, while its inexperienced installation firm, Sapura of Malaysia, had multiple construction mishaps that led to delays.
Offshore construction got back on track this March, with Fred. Olsen Windcarrier and Shimizu collaborating on transportation and installation of monopile foundations, which they completed in September.
Siemens Gamesa
The OEM launched production of 14MW nacelles at its Taichung, Taiwan plant this summer, its first turbine factory outside of Europe producing mega-sized machines, which it expects to serve the regional market.
Taiwan has around 2.6GW of operating capacity with another 2.5GW in late-stage development as it nears its 2025 goals of 5.6GW, the most in Asia-Pacific outside China
The island is targeting over 20GW of capacity by 2035, but its multiphase Round 3 has struggled to gain momentum with the demise of state subsidies and local content requirements that have driven costs to an estimated $190/MWh, among the highest in the world.