Offshore wind contract for joint venture in Taiwan

Ørsted Taiwan, part of the world’s largest offshore wind company Ørsted, has commissioned Mammoet-Giant Taiwan, a joint venture (JV) between heavy lifting and transport specialist Mammoet and heavy lift company Taiwanese Giant Heavy Machinery Services, to provide essential support for the 920 MW Greater Changhua 2b and 4 offshore wind farms in Taiwan.

The offshore wind farm development is playing a crucial role in Taiwan's green energy targets, as it aims to achieve 5.7 GW of offshore wind power capacity by 2025.

The contract win builds upon Mammoet-Giant’s consistent success in Taiwan where it has been active since the inception of offshore wind in the country in 2017. The JV has been entrusted with the marshalling and lifting activities for 66 suction bucket jackets.

Mammoet-Giant will deliver a comprehensive turnkey service for the project, from initial planning to execution, ensuring the jackets get into the water faster. By managing the complete quayside scope with meticulous planning and execution, the company says it will reduce interfaces, minimise project risks, and ensure high levels of utilisation with minimal disruption to port facilities.

To handle the quayside operations, Mammoet has selected its 5,000t capacity SK 350 ring crane which it says will be instrumental in achieving the project's objectives.

Operating from a single location, the SK350 will lift the 2,500t suction bucket jackets directly from deck carriers to the quayside and after temporary storage on site, onto deck carriers ferrying the jackets to the installation vessel in the field. This methodology will eliminate the need for vessel repositioning during offloading and loading operations.

The crane’s design enables it to operate in the region’s high wind speeds, mitigating schedule risks and optimizing loading speeds. This reduces vessel turnaround times at the port to a minimum, resulting in multiple cost reductions and further schedule optimisation.

Chris Schraa, managing director of Mammoet Taiwan, stated: “We are thrilled and honoured to have been awarded the contract to help construct Greater Changhua 2b and 4 offshore wind farms. Mammoet-Giant remains steadfast in our mission to deliver exceptional performance and contribute to the sustainable growth of Taiwan's renewable energy sector.

“Projects like these showcase the strength of our setup in Taiwan as well as the value of early engagement in engineering. This enables us to offer smarter and safer solutions, optimising schedules and processes through direct communication with the developer.”