Chin Fong Machine Industrial Co (金豐機器) on Tuesday broke ground at the Port of Taichung for a plant to manufacture wind turbine towers for an international offshore wind farm project.
Chin Fong, the nation’s largest maker of mechanical power presses, is building the facility in line with a government policy to promote the development of green energy, chairman Chang Yu-cheng (張於正) said at the groundbreaking ceremony.
The plant is being built in a special zone designated for offshore wind power firms, the company said, adding that most of the nation’s wind farms are in central Taiwan, but the plant would be near the docks, which should help with transportation.
The Changhua-based company in October last year signed a contract with Danish turbine maker MHI Vestas Offshore Wind A/S and South Korea’s CS Wind Corp to produce offshore wind turbine towers, Chang said.
The three are to supply towers to foreign energy developers, such as Spain’s Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy SA, MHI Vestas and German wind project developer Wpd AG, Chang added.
Given the large size of the towers, manufacturers need large storage areas, Chang said, expressing the hope that Taiwan International Ports Corp (臺灣港務) would designate a zone in the port area for the storage of offshore wind turbines, components and spare parts, making the port a hub in the Asia-Pacific region for exports of offshore wind power equipment.
Chin Fong plans to invest an estimated US$25 million on equipment, with the plant expected to start test production in the fourth quarter and mass production next year.
The plant would produce at least 100 towers per year, according to a company estimate.
Based on the sales price of US$1 million per tower, annual revenue is expected to reach US$100 million, the company said.
CS Wind, a supplier of onshore and offshore wind turbine towers to Siemens Gamesa, has expertise in tower manufacturing and would help Chin Fong secure orders in the initial period after the plant goes into operation, the Taiwanese company said.
Wpd AG has said it would buy 40 towers from the Chin Fong-CS Wind partnership in spring and summer next year.
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