The new vessel, to be named ‘Green Jade’, has an exceptionally high transport and load capacity and will be built at CSBC in Taiwan for delivery in 2022 for deployment in the flourishing local offshore wind market. It will feature a high-tech, 4,000-tonne capacity crane and DP3 capability with maximum deck space, enabling it to transport a multitude of the heaviest monopiles, jackets, wind turbine components and structures in a single shipment. With this combination of high load and lifting capacity, ‘Green Jade’ can transport and install the next generation of foundations and giant multi-megawatt wind turbines in the most cost-effective way. At 216.5 metres long, ‘Green Jade’ can comfortably accommodate a crew of up to 160 people.
CDWE, Taiwan’s first offshore wind EPCI contractor, was established in February 2019 by CSBC, the largest shipbuilder in Taiwan, and DEME Offshore. Both partners have agreed to start up the early works and the ordering of critical packages for their pioneering new asset, ‘Green Jade’. The name symbolises Taiwan’s renowned Yushan, the Jade Mountain. At a dizzying height of 3,952 m above sea level, Jade Mountain is the highest peak in East Asia and gives Taiwan one of the highest elevations of any island in the world. Additionally, the name ‘Green Jade’ reflects the vessel’s contribution to reducing emissions, and its role in bringing clean, green energy to Taiwan’s residents. By choosing such an auspicious name, CDWE wants to highlight its ambitions to develop the offshore wind industry and to successfully ‘scale the summit’ together.
In October last year, CDWE signed Taiwan’s first comprehensive, large-scale Balance of Plant (BOP) Preferred Supplier Agreement with the Hai Long Offshore Wind Project. This marks an important step in realising industry compliance with the ‘Industrial Relevance Plan Goals’ that the Taiwan Government has mandated in the offshore wind industry.
Swiftly following on from this first success, CDWE has signed two contracts with Zhong Neng Wind Power Corporation Preparatory Office for the 300 MW Zhong Neng offshore wind farm project. The contracts comprise the transportation and installation of foundations, as well as a Preferred Bidder Agreement for the transportation and installation of the wind turbines.
‘Green Jade’ will be deployed on both projects. CDWE is committed to meeting localisation requirements and assisting with the development of the offshore wind industry, and a successful and sustainable supply chain in Taiwan, optimising local materials and skills.
Environmental considerations are an important element of the vessel design. ‘Green Jade’ has dual fuel engines and will have a Green Passport and Clean Design notation. ‘Green Jade’ will also have other environmental innovations on board, including a waste heat recovery system that converts heat from the exhaust gases and cooling water to electrical energy, in addition to various other fuel-saving measures. The vessel is the first of its kind to be built in Taiwan for the local renewables market.
“Hai Long and CDWE started this partnership by signing a MOU on March 9th 2018 before the allocation round took place” said Hai Long EPCI Director, Felipe Montero. “The BOP conditional contract was signed in October 2019, covering EPCI for the foundations, inter-array cables & export cables and the T&I of the turbines, giving CDWE their biggest scope and contract so far. This also allows them to participate from the beginning of the development until the end of the construction.”
Frank Rijnja, Procurement Director of the CIP-CSC co-developed Zhong Neng Offshore Wind Project, added that Zhong Neng awarded the Foundation T&I scope for the 300 MW Zhong Neng Offshore Wind Farm to CDWE in December 2019 and that one of the reasons was to support the government’s localisation policy and to provide CDWE with confidence, enabling the company to take the decision to invest in a locally built and state-of-the-art installation vessel.
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