Siemens Gamesa inaugurates new offshore nacelle assembly facility

First Siemens Gamesa offshore wind turbine nacelle assembly facility outside of Europe starts regular operations in Taichung Harbor

Siemens Gamesa inaugurates new offshore nacelle assembly facility
Photo: Siemens Gamesa

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has officially inaugurated its new offshore facility in Taichung. This is the company’s first offshore nacelle assembly facility outside of Europe.  

As announced in 2019, the facility will now be starting regular operations, after having already completed Taiwan’s very first local offshore wind turbine nacelle assembly in early August 2021. 

The piece of land developed in Taichung measures over 30,000 square meters, and is currently used for nacelle assembly, testing, warehousing, office buildings, and outdoor storage. Construction started in April 2020 and was completed in Q3 this year. It will support Ørsted’s 900 MW Greater Changhua 1 & 2a Offshore Wind Farms, which will employ SG 8.0-167 DD offshore wind turbines. It will also provide an option for future projects in Taiwan and in the rest of the promising region.

Niels Steenberg, General Manager of Siemens Gamesa Offshore for Asia-Pacific, says:

“We are very proud to once again deliver on our promises in Taiwan, together with our client Ørsted, our contractors, central and local authorities who have contributed and guided us throughout the process. We are confident that with the right policy framework on offshore wind, we will help Taiwan realize a cleaner and more sustainable future. We are looking forward to leveraging this local footprint to serve this purpose and deliver offshore wind nacelles to projects in the region.”

Matthias Bausenwein, President of Ørsted Asia-Pacific, says:

“Ørsted is spearheading offshore wind development in Asia-Pacific, leveraging more than 30 years of experience in this industry. In Taiwan, we have, from day one, taken solid steps in building an offshore wind eco-system. This nacelle assembly facility well demonstrates that it takes projects with scale, thorough planning and preparation, and commitment of significant and experienced resources to build a strong supply chain, consisting of competitive local suppliers and international best-in-class suppliers, who are determined to invest in Taiwan.”

Siemens Gamesa was awarded the firm order to supply 111 SG 8.0-167 DD offshore wind turbines to Ørsted’s Greater Changhua 1 & 2a projects in January 2019. This order accelerated the development of the now-inaugurated offshore nacelle assembly facility.

Christy Wang, General Manager of Ørsted Taiwan, remarks:

”As part of the ramp-up program of the facility, Siemens Gamesa committed to supporting local offshore wind professionals, and developing their skills to match world-class manufacturing standards. Since May 2021, approximately 80 nacelle technicians received Siemens Gamesa Technical Trainings through a partnership with the Metal Industries Research & Development Centre. This dedicated training plan was crucial to enabling the on-time production start in August 2021.