Willem de Vlamingh installs export cables for wind farm offshore Taiwan

Offshore staff

LUXEMBOURG – Jan De Nul Group’s cable laying vessel Willem de Vlamingh has installed the three export cables on the 120-MW Formosa 1 Phase 2 wind farm offshore Taiwan.

As part of the EPCI contract for building of the overall Balance of Plant, the company mobilized the Willem de Vlamingh to install the 17 inter array and three export cables.

The export cables were installed within one week. Thanks to its shallow draft design, the vessel was able to position in water depths of no more than 7 m (23 ft). The company said this limited the shore pull distance to around 1,750 m (5,741 ft). At the beach landing, the cables have been pulled through three HDD ducts into the transition joint bays.

The Willem de Vlamingh is also acting as a trenching support vessel for the jet-trenching of both the export and inter array cables.

The wind farm is owned by Formosa I Wind Power Co. Ltd., a partnership of Orsted (35%), JERA (32.5%), Macquarie Capital (25%), and Swancor Holding (7.5%).

It is located about 6 km (4 mi) off the west coast of the Miaoli district in the Taiwan Strait, with water depths ranging between 15 and 30 m (49 and 98 ft). The original demonstrator project, comprising two wind turbines with a total capacity of 8 MW, is currently being extended. This second phase will add 20 offshore wind turbines with a total capacity of 120 MW.

Formosa 1 will be the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in Taiwan before 2020.

08/09/2019