Port of Taichung, Taiwan International Ports Corporation, Ltd.

In support of national policies promoting the development of offshore wind-turbine power generation, the Port of Taichung, TIPC has designated Wharves 5A and 5B as wind-turbine assembly and handling wharves as part of the port’s long-term development of an offshore wind-turbine industry park and operations center.

The retrofitting of Wharf 5A and construction of Wharf 5B reference the findings of a 2013 Study on Critical Port Facilities Required to Support Offshore Wind Farm Development in Taiwan. These findings note that the offshore wind conditions between Taoyuan and Yunlin Counties are relatively favorable to wind-power generation and that the international commercial Port of Taichung, with its central location, strong wharf and other support facilities, and current experience handling the importation of wind turbines, is a suitable hub to support the development of wind farms off of Taiwan’s West Coast. Further analysis identified Wharves 5A and 5B as optimal for supporting this development in terms of economic and logistical considerations. Therefore, TaiPower will use these two wharves as a logistics hub for Phase 1 of its plan for wind farm development in the region.

TIPC work on these two wharves is being coordinated with TaiPower. Plans for the retrofitting of Wharf 5A and the construction of Wharf 5B commenced in 2016, with specifications designed to meet the designated structural load-bearing, yard, and berth handling requirements of TaiPower. After mutual discussion, it was agreed to make both wharves capable of handling loads of up to 50mt/m2, to expand available leased yard space to 3.4ha, and to strengthen the ground in the wharf area by adding a 1.5m layer of gravel to ground surfaces. The total cost for the work is budgeted at NT$1.4 billion, including the addition of 400m of new wharf waterline, the dredging of the berths to -11m, and the construction of related seawall, roadway, drainage, water supply, electrical, lighting, and security facilities. Work commenced on June 11^th, 2017, with work on Wharf 5A scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2019 and work on Wharf 5B scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2020. The completed facilities are expected to fully support the turbine assembly and handling needs of TaiPower’s new model offshore wind farm.

Contact : Engineering Division, Port of Taichung, TIPC

Yu-jen Lin  /  jack@twport.com.tw