Siemens Gamesa to expand wind turbine nacelle capacity in Taiwan

Named the preferred supplier for Taiwan offshore wind turbines in 2019, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE, Zamudio, Spain) plans to expand its SG 14-222 DD nacelle assembly facility in Taichung. The development — in collaboration with Taiwan-based suppliers — will form a regional offshore wind nacelle industrial hub, beginning with its first supported development, the 300-MW Hai Long 2 project, with Hai Long Offshore Wind. However, the expansion is still subject to certain conditions, including approval of Hai Long 2’s Industrial Relevance Proposal (IRP) by Taiwanese authorities and final investment decision by the project partners.

Currently under construction, the facility will start production in 2021 to deliver nacelles to Ørsted’s Greater Changhuathe 1 and 2a offshore wind farm in the Asia-Pacific area. Once the nacelle assembly work is completed in 2022, Taichung factory expansion will start, which will include doubling facility size to 60,000 square meters and at least doubling the number of Siemens Gamesa employees working in the factory.

The factory expansion incorporates construction of two new production halls and a new warehouse, encompassing local hub and back-end production in Taiwan for Siemens Gamesa’s offshore wind turbine technology. This will provide opportunities for a range of local suppliers to feed components directly to the factory.

“Our actions to localize and expand nacelle manufacturing in Taiwan demonstrate our strong beliefs in both the Taiwanese market and the Asia-Pacific region as a whole,” states Andreas Nauen, CEO of the Siemens Gamesa Offshore Business Unit. “Supported by proactive policies, strong wind resources and a contribution to combatting climate change, offshore wind is an essential element in the energy mix around the globe,”

Additional contracts with KK Wind Solutions (Ikast, Denmark), Sinbon (New Taipei City, Taiwan), Atech, and Würth (Künzelsau, Germany) have also been signed by Siemens Gamesa for the localization of six types of nacelle components for Hai Long 2. These local Taiwanese production facilities will, respectively, manufacture uninterruptible power supplies, cable manufacturing, nacelle canopies and spinners and locally procure fasteners.