Seajacks 10,000-tonne jack-up vessel Zaratan will install all 20 SWT-6.0-154 wind turbines in the Taiwan Strait, with the scheduled to begin work in the second quarter of 2019. The vessel will be installing the turbines in around 30 metres of water, up to six kilometres off the coast of Miaoli County in North West Taiwan. The award is the first time the Great Yarmouth-based company has won a renewables contract outside of Europe.
“This exciting contract award announces the arrival of Seajacks as a global player in offshore wind farm installation and it builds on our years of experience in Europe” said Seajacks Chairman, Soichi Inoue.
“It is also a very exciting time for Taiwan and we’re delighted to be playing a part in delivering the country’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm. Zaratan has proven to be a tried and trusted platform for innovative projects like this in harsh environments. We’re looking forward to working in partnership with Siemens Gamesa and Formosa’s owners to bring offshore wind power to Taiwan and show once again what we can do.”
Siemens Gamesa Executive General Manager APAC Niels Steenberg added that Seajacks bringing a suitable vessel to Taiwan, as one of the first suppliers, relieves one of the bottlenecks for utility scale offshore wind in the region and that Siemens Gamesa expects more to follow, creating a healthy and sustainable market.
Formosa Phase 2 is a key development for the state as it moves away from traditional power sources towards renewable energy. Phase 1 of Formosa featured two 4 MW demonstration turbines installed in 2016. The installation contract is subject to a final investment decision and financial close, both of which are expected later this year.
Image: Seajacks Zaratan jack-up vessel (Photo: Seajacks)
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