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Siemens Gamesa 1st 14MW Nacelle Manufacturing Facility at Port of Taichung

Taiwan International Ports Corporation Ltd.
Honoring those who successfully completed nacelle technician training in Europe during the Grand Opening ceremony (photo credit: Siemens Gamesa)

Published Sep 25, 2024 8:56 AM by The Maritime Executive

[By: Taiwan International Ports Corporation Ltd]

Offshore wind turbine nacelle maker Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, S.A. (Siemens Gamesa)’s brand-new nacelle manufacturing facility officially opened for business at Port of Taichung on August 15th (2024), with commercial production commencing the same day. The grand opening ceremony was enthusiastically attended by central and local government officials as well as senior representatives from peer firms in the offshore wind power sector.

Siemens Gamesa initially established itself at Port of Taichung in 2019 with the lease of 3 hectares of port land, where the company installed a wind turbine nacelle assembly plant. After commencing production of 8MW turbines on the site two years later in September 2021, the company leased another lot for a new manufacturing facility and warehouse complex. Ground was broken on September 2022 and main structural elements were in place by the end of the same year. The subsequent completion of remaining construction and equipment installation paved the way to the August 15th grand opening. The state-of-the-art 14MW nacelles now produced at thisfacility are being supplied directly to Taiwan’s expanding offshore wind farms in the Taiwan Strait. Future plans call for Siemens Gamesa to expand sales of its Port of Taichung-made nacelles to other markets across the Asia Pacific Region. This new facility is expected to generate nearly 300 new full-time job opportunities in the area by the end of 2026.

A Siemens Gamesa official shared that, prior to commencing operations, the company had sent 35 select Taiwanese staff, including 20 nacelle technicians and 15 managers and support staff, to Denmark and Germany for advanced study and training. Industrial Development Administration Deputy Director General Yu-hsin Tsou praised Siemens Gamesa for making good on earlier commitments to transfer German turbine assembly technologies as well as production, technical, and training know-how to its Taiwan subsidiary. The 14MW turbine, currently Siemens Gamesa largest commercially produced wind turbine, only commenced production in Europe last year. Taiwan is the first country outside of Europe to begin producing this model, underscoring the significance of this milestone.

Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC), a firsthand witness to the company’s domestic construction and manufacturing efforts, warmly congratulates and thanks Siemens Gamesa for its investments in Port of Taichung and confirms the strength of the company’s related efforts in Taiwan. TIPC is committed to continue facilitating the smooth development of Taiwan’s offshore wind farms and to improving and streamlining port operating environments in order to entice more world-class businesses to Taiwan’s international commercial ports to participate in the country’s bourgeoning green industry sector.

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