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Ørsted has signed a memorandum of understanding with Taiwanese company Woen Jinn Harbour Engineering with the aim to make Woen Jinn the preferred offshore cable installation partner for Ørsted’s Greater Changhua projects.

Ørsted will be the preferred offshore wind developers to Woen Jinn for tapping into the industry in Taiwan.

Kaohsiung-based Woen Jinn Harbour Engineering is said to be the leader in offshore cable installation in Taiwan. It has completed the offshore cable installation for Phase 1 Formosa 1 project, the first offshore wind project in Taiwan.

Matthias Bausenwein, Ørsted’s general manager Asia Pacific and chairman Taiwan, said: “Constructing and completing offshore wind farms at rough sea is a big challenge, especially in a new region like here. The strong winds and waves in the Taiwan Strait make the offshore work more challenging. We are therefore very pleased to establish the partnership with such an experienced player as Woen Jinn.”

“We believe that this collaboration will not only bring more opportunities to Woen Jinn in Taiwan, but it will also support our partner to become a competitive offshore wind cable installation supplier in Asia. We look forward to supporting more Taiwanese companies to develop competence and capability in offshore wind.”

Lee Ming Chuan, chairman of Woen Jinn Harbour Engineering, said: “Ørsted has extensive experience in the construction of offshore wind farms in Europe. In the past few months, Ørsted’s experienced engineering team has visited our company many times to share offshore cable installation standards and technical expertise. Ørsted is not only the preferred partner for Woen Jinn, but also the driving force to develop Taiwan’s offshore wind supply chain.”

Today’s MoU includes the following key points:

• Ørsted to consider Woen Jinn as the preferred local offshore cable installation supplier; Woen Jinn to consider Ørsted as the preferred offshore wind developer, to engage in mutual development of the Greater Changhua projects.
• Ørsted to provide Woen Jinn with advice and knowledge regarding needs and standards relevant for high-quality, high HSE and competitive offshore cable (export and array cables) installation.
• Ørsted to support Woen Jinn identifying potential, future business partners and to become a competitive offshore power cable installation contractor in Asia.

Ørsted’s Greater Changhua projects include four sites located 35 to 60 kilometers off the Changhua coast. The total capacity is expected to be 2.4GW and can power 2.8 million homes in Taiwan. Currently, the Greater Changhua projects are in the environmental impact assessment review stage. Once the projects have received all permits, the onshore construction will start in 2019.