Since establishing its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Taipei six years ago, Ørsted, the world’s most sustainable energy company, has made a significant impact on Taiwan’s renewable energy landscape. In addition to completing Taiwan’s first commercial-scaled offshore wind farm – the 128 MW Formosa 1 – with its joint venture partners, Ørsted is building the 900 MW Greater Changhua 1 & 2a Offshore Wind Farms, which will power over one million households.
The company is also developing the 920 MW Greater Changhua 2b & 4 Offshore Wind Farms to provide green energy to chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), under a corporate power purchase agreement signed in 2020. With this extensive portfolio, Ørsted will evaluate possible further participation in zonal development auctions.
But the mission to build a world that runs entirely on green energy is not enough for Ørsted – the company also works to address the offshore wind industry’s effect on biodiversity.
“We put sustainability at the core of our business,” says Christy Wang, Chairperson of Ørsted Taiwan. “That’s why we want all renewable energy projects we commission from 2030 onwards to deliver a net positive biodiversity impact.” To this end, Ørsted has launched biodiversity initiatives in markets where it operates to build the knowledge and capabilities that will enable a net positive effect.
Addressing the lack of industry-wide standardized biodiversity impact measurements, Ørsted joined the Science Based Targets Network Corporate Engagement Program to develop science-based biodiversity targets. The company also actively works with local stakeholders to exchange expertise and develop solutions that work for the communities and environment as a whole.
“There is not yet a universally applied measurement for evaluating biodiversity, and every project is unique. When it comes to restoration and offset initiatives we don’t want to simply plug in European models and claim that they suit Taiwan’s environment,” says Wang. “So we are deploying biodiversity initiatives specifically tailored for local environments, such as the ReCoral project in Taiwan. We also collaborate with international organizations on developing biodiversity measurement metrics to scientifically evaluate the impact of our projects.”
Coral reefs are among the most diverse and valuable ecosystems on the planet, and their restoration is crucial to protecting marine life. To boost the health of coral and the overall marine ecosystem, Ørsted and researchers from the Penghu Marina Biology Research Center (PMBRC) announced the ReCoral program in May 2022.
For the proof-of-concept trial, surplus native coral spawn was gathered from the Penghu Islands’ shorelines and incubated in the PMBRC lab until the coral spawn became viable coral larvae. Researchers this summer then took tens of thousands of coral larvae to the turbine foundations of Ørsted’s Greater Changhua Offshore Wind Farms. If the larvae successfully settle on the foundations, this could mark the beginning of an entirely new approach to restoring coral.
“The concept was developed internally, and we also worked with consultancies in Denmark and Taiwan to confirm whether it was scientifically sound and feasible,” says Wang. Before setting out to the wind farms, Ørsted and PMBRC simulated the wind farm conditions and verified the experiment in a laboratory-scale test.
Wang notes that despite extensive preparation and simulations, the marine operation was more challenging than expected. “We realized we had a smaller window than expected to conduct the operation due to the difficult weather conditions.”
Despite the challenging nature of the project, the team has completed the mission to transfer coral larvae to the turbine foundations and coral settlement results are now being reviewed. Since it’s the first project of its kind, there is no guarantee of success. But regardless of the results, Wang stresses that the potential rewards outweigh the risks.
“The mission of increasing biodiversity deserves our utmost efforts,” she says. “We will continue these endeavors and bring educational programs back to the community. And as the project progresses, we’ll keep sharing the results with our industry peers, competitors, and all relevant and interested stakeholders.”
Meanwhile, Ørsted continues to promote sustainable construction and work with local and global partners to enhance biodiversity and healthy ocean life. “We have set up a very ambitious target, and this is only the starting point of our journey to increase biodiversity,” says Wang. “We don’t have all the answers, but we are testing solutions with a humble approach and by learning from local stakeholders.”
