Hitachi ABB Power Grids has signed a significant purchase agreement with wind turbine manufacturer MHI Vestas. Hitachi will deliver its high performance WindSTAR transformers to MHI Vestas’ offshore wind projects in Taiwan.
The agreement represents a breakthrough for Hitachi ABB’s entry into the offshore wind market in Taiwan. The business has established a local partnership to supply key components for the production of the transformers, which will be used in the country’s fast-growing offshore wind electricity generation sector. This expects to install 5.5 GW of new offshore wind power by 2025.
Maida Zahirovic, MHI Vestas Taiwan business director commented “The collaboration between Hitachi ABB Power Grids and their local suppliers, Shihlin Electric & Engineering Corporation means that localisation of key offshore wind technologies continues alongside … production of transformers. We have worked hard to deliver the world’s most ambitious offshore wind localisation scope in Taiwan, and this purchase agreement is another key achievement for Taiwan’s local supply chain.”
Taiwan currently has 14 offshore wind projects under construction, in development or in planning. Among the earliest, which will be utilising the WindSTAR transformers, is the 589 MW Changfang and Xidao project. This is which is developed and owned by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP). The windfarm will be in the Taiwan Strait – around 11 km off the coast of the Fangyuan Township in Changhua County, Central Taiwan.
