The Fuhai development will be the first of three phases to develop an up to 250MW, 52 turbine offshore project eight kilometres off the island's west coast after receiving a grant from the government's Ministry of Economic Affairs. It will be the first offshore project in Taiwan.
TGC's subsidiary Fuhai Wind Farm Corp will develop the project.
Onshore construction for the initial two turbine pilot is due to begin by the end of the year with commissioning in 2015. The remaining 50 turbines are planned to be installed by the end of 2017 according to TGC's manager of business development Michael Wang.
Turbines with a capacity of between 3MW and 5MW will be used, Wang told Windpower Monthly, but a supplier has yet to be agreed. Wang said the turbines will be produced by other international manufacturers, due to legislation prohibiting the use of Chinese turbines.
Due to the typically strong winds through the straight, the turbines will need to have IEC 1A wind class rating. Wang said there were only "a few" international manufactures that could fulfill these requirements.
TGC's met mast installed seven kilometres from the site in Taiwan's intertidal zone has measured average wind speeds of 8.7 metres per second. The company are planning to install a "genuine offshore" met mast in September.
Taiwan is regularly hit by typhoons but Wang told Windpower Monthly the storms "won't be an issue" and currently there has been no reported damage by typhoons at the country's onshore projects.
The offshore turbines will be installed on jacket foundations, supplied by Taiwan-based manufacturer Century Iron and Steel. Fortune Electric, also based in the country, has been contracted by Taiwan Generations to supply and install the Fuhai project's onshore cables, transformers and substation. China Shipbuilding Corp has been contracted to work on the project's maritime construction.
The pilot project is the first of three phases in the development of the Fuhai project. Phase two will see a further 28 turbines installed, with phase three installing another 22 turbines.
Along with the grant from the central Taiwanese government, the project has also received finance from the country's banks and the project's shareholders.
The government in Taiwan is targeting up to 3GW of offshore wind by 2030.
