Orsted inaugurates Asia-Pacific’s largest offshore wind farm

The recent inauguration of the Greater Changhua 1 & 2a wind farms, the largest offshore wind farms in Asia-Pacific, represents a defining moment for Taiwan. The ceremony, which took place at theØrsted at the port of Taichung, was attended by President Tsai Ing-wen, dignitaries and investor representatives, including the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and Cathay Private Equity (Cathay PE), as well as local suppliers and financial institutions. President Tsai expressed her gratitude to Ørsted for its continued investment and role in bringing renewable technologies to Taiwan.

Executive statements

Mads Nipper, President and CEO of Ørsted Group, emphasized the importance of this event, not only for Ørsted but also for Taiwan, stating that the Greater Changhua 1 & 2a wind farms are Ørsted’s first gigawatt wind farms outside Europe and Taiwan’s first large-scale offshore wind farms. Per Mejnert Kristensen, CEO of Ørsted’s APAC region, also highlighted the strategic importance of these wind farms, which have played a key role in establishing the local offshore wind industry and contributing to Taiwan’s energy transition and net-zero goals.

Ownership structure and park capacity

The 605.2 MW Greater Changhua 1 wind farm is co-owned by Ørsted (50%) and a consortium consisting of CDPQ and Cathay PE (also 50%). Greater Changhua 2a, with a capacity of 294.8 MW, is wholly owned by Ørsted. These wind farms are part of the Greater Changhua offshore wind zone, which also includes the Greater Changhua 2b and 4 projects, bringing the zone’s total capacity to around 2.4 GW.

Investor engagement and outlook

Emmanuel Jaclot, Executive Vice-President and Head of Infrastructure at CDPQ, emphasized the significance of this inauguration for Taiwan and for the collaboration with Ørsted and Cathay PE, affirming CDPQ’s commitment to promoting the energy transition in the Asia-Pacific region. Jeff Chang, Chairman of Cathay PE, also recognized the importance of the event to Taiwan’s energy transition, highlighting Cathay PE’s contribution to a low-carbon future for the island.

These developments reflect Ørsted’s ambition to become a major player in large-scale renewable energy production, with nearly 2 GW of offshore wind capacity in operation and under construction in Taiwan, including Taiwan’s first commercial offshore wind farm, Formosa 1. The company is on track to complete its next major project, the 920 MW Greater Changhua 2b and 4 offshore wind farm, and continues to develop a portfolio of offshore wind sites that will compete in future Taiwanese tenders.