At a ceremony in Taipei, Taiwan, on 22 May, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners officially celebrated the completed construction of the Changfang-Xidao offshore wind project. With a total capacity of nearly 600 MW, the two offshore wind farms increase Taiwan’s combined offshore capacity by approximately 25% and contribute significantly to its energy transition and ambitious net-zero goals.
Changfang-Xidao has one of the highest degrees of localisation, that is the employment of local suppliers and vendors, in the history of Taiwan’s offshore wind industry. The wind farms are located 11 km off the west coast of Taiwan and consist of 62 Vestas V174 turbines and jacket foundations supplied by Taiwan’s Century Wind Power. When fully operational, Changfang-Xidao will deliver an expected annual CO2 reduction of 1.1 million tons.
Changfang-Xidao are CIP’s first offshore wind farms in Asia Pacific, which has developed into a key offshore market. CIP has a significant portfolio of 21 GW offshore wind in the region and is among the frontrunners in the build-out of offshore wind in Korea and Australia, as well as Taiwan.
Christina Grumstrup Sørensen, Senior Partner at CIP, says: “The inauguration of Changfang-Xidao is a landmark for CIP as well as for the offshore wind industry in Taiwan. In the past seven years, the development and construction team, suppliers, partners and shareholders have demonstrated the power of close collaboration. Together we have successfully constructed a project that makes a meaningful contribution to Taiwan’s energy transition and that plays a significant role in the establishment of the local offshore wind industry – and will support Taiwan’s long-term offshore wind ambitions.”
Since entering Taiwan in 2017, CIP has been committed to offshore wind in the country and has invested significantly in developing Taiwan’s offshore wind projects, supply networks and fostering a strong industry ecosystem. CIP and other partners currently have three offshore wind projects in Taiwan with a combined capacity of approximately 1400 MW: Changfang-Xidao (600MW), Zhongneng (300MW), and Fengmiao (500MW). Zhongneng is owned by CI IV and China Steel Corporation and is under construction with commercial operations expected in 2025. Fengmiao is owned by CI V and is targeting a final investment decision by the end of 2024 and commercial operations in 2027.
With a target size of €12 billion, CIP’s fifth flagship fund, CI V, is set to become the largest of its kind globally. The fund aims to invest in a range of technologies from wind and solar PV to energy storage across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific.
