[Energy Doppelganger Taiwan Visit] (Part 2) Oersted "Want to Collaborate with Korean Companies on Global Offshore Wind Power"

Interview with Fair Minor Christensen, Asia-Pacific Representative
Equipment and Parts Supplied from Korea

Per Mejnert Kristensen, CEO of Ørsted Asia Pacific. Photo by Ørsted

"Ørsted is closely collaborating with Korean companies on offshore wind projects worldwide."

Fair Minor Christensen, Ørsted Asia-Pacific representative, emphasized cooperation with Korean companies multiple times during an interview with reporters on the 21st of last month at Ørsted’s Asia-Pacific headquarters in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan.

The relationship between the Danish state-owned company Ørsted and Taiwan’s offshore wind sector is deep and broad. Ørsted participated in the development of Taiwan’s first offshore wind farm, Formosa 1, and successfully completed the 900 MW Changhua 1&2a, Taiwan’s largest offshore wind farm, in 2024. Since February, construction has begun on the 920 MW Changhua 2b&4 offshore wind farm. This power plant has signed a 20-year corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA) with TSMC, a Taiwanese foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturing) company. Ørsted plans to produce its first power from Changhua 2b&4 in the third quarter of this year and start commissioning in the second half.

While carrying out offshore wind projects in Taiwan, Ørsted partnered with several Korean companies. Due to Taiwan’s insufficient offshore wind supply chain, equipment and parts were sourced from nearby Korea.

In the Changhua 1&2a project, SK Ocean Plant (formerly Samkang M&T) and Hyundai Heavy Industries supplied the substructures, CS Wind provided the towers, and LS Cable supplied the cables. The same applies to the ongoing Changhua 2b&4 project. Christensen explained, "HSG Sungdong Shipbuilding supplied 33 of the 66 suction bucket-type substructures."

The Danish company Cadeler’s wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) ‘Wind Maker,’ currently operating in Taiwan, was built by Hanwha Ocean. Additionally, POSCO, Hyosung Heavy Industries, and SeAH Steel are participating in the UK’s offshore wind projects.

Christensen also emphasized the importance of collaboration with local supply chains. In the Changhua 1&2a project, which had high Local Content Requirement (LCR) standards, more than 200 local companies were involved, and even in the LCR-free Changhua 2b&4 project, cooperation with local suppliers is pursued as much as possible. He explained, "The onshore substations were constructed entirely by local companies."

In November 2023, Ørsted obtained a power generation business license from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy for the development of Incheon Offshore Wind Farms 1 and 2. Environmental impact assessment procedures are currently underway.

As the global offshore wind market slowed due to global inflation and the inauguration of the second Donald Trump administration in the US, Ørsted announced in February that it would reduce its investment scale by 25% by 2030. Christensen confirmed, "Projects in the Asia-Pacific region, including Taiwan, Korea, and Australia, will proceed as planned." He emphasized, "The Incheon offshore wind project is progressing very smoothly overall," and expressed confidence in its successful power generation potential.

Regarding the recently passed Offshore Wind Special Act by the National Assembly, he expressed expectations, saying, "It introduced the concept of a one-stop shop to simplify the permitting process, providing a foundation for developers to carry out projects more smoothly."

He added, "The Taiwanese government has been very proactive in promoting offshore wind projects from the beginning and has spared no strong support for rapid execution. I believe Korea shares the same goals and determination, and projects will be advanced swiftly in Korea within a few years."