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with an expansion of wind deployment earmarked as a natural and husbandry services, barge and tug support, crew trans- and necessary step in that process. portation and emergency response: all vital and sometimes

Half of that capacity is on track to be built by 2035 with unsung components of offshore energy projects. more than 130 offshore wind farm projects currently under development including the Greater Changhua wind farm proj- Gathering Pace ect, which is being supported by global shipping and logistics Beyond Southeast Asia, offshore energy construction and services provider GAC. maintenance projects are also gathering pace. Mainland Chi-

Two of the windfarms – Changhua 1 and 2a – were deliv- na, the United Kingdom, and several countries in Northern ered last year. Once operational, they will have a capacity of Europe are clear market leaders in the sector, while Brazil and 900 MW, generating enough power to meet the needs of a the United States are ramping up production. million households. Based on data from leading energy trade association Re-

Technology, particularly unmanned surface vessels newableUK, the output of the global offshore wind sector now (USVs), played a critical role in this project. They reduced stands at 1,174 GW across 38 countries – an increase of 508 GW the on-site work force and manpower costs, and minimized over the past 12 months. It is in these offshore hubs that GAC the need for technical experts and diving teams to operate in developed the experience that it is now applying to support other high-risk situations. projects in Taiwan, India, Singapore and the Middle East.

USVs enable operations and maintenance players to collect All are vulnerable to their own regional challenges but the on-site data to aid faster and smarter decision-making. Infor- core issues they all face - geopolitical, in? ationary or envi- mation gathered related to weather patterns, water currents, ronmental - can drastically impact the overall supply chain, seabed conditions and more are valuable when planning other as well as the cost of key items such as turbines, blades, sub- offshore wind farm projects. structures and electrical components.

Increasingly, the sector is being called upon to be ? exible to

Operational Challenges remain competitive, ensure projects stay on schedule and keep

Since the Changhua wind farm project began in 2018, it has costs low. Project managers need to work closely with their faced a number of operational challenges. First, developers partners and support networks to adapt to the ever-changing have had to meet Taiwan’s local content requirements for the risks, especially as offshore wind farms grow in size, output use of the country’s supply chain, manufacturing industry and and global signi? cance. regional labor.

Second, the Taiwan Strait is prone to severe weather condi- tions which pose dif? culties and delays for construction of offshore wind farms. Taking typhoon seasons into account, developers only have a six-month window to carry out instal- lation projects.

To overcome these challenges, as well others relating to project equipment and labor shortages caused by global sup- ply chain squeezes, developers need to carefully plan ahead and seek the right support during early stages, particularly since these projects can take several years to materialize.

Strengthening Support

GAC opened a new of? ce at Taichung Port in Taiwan in

November 2022 to strengthen offshore operations support for projects like Greater Changhua. GAC Taiwan draws on the Group’s global experience from other offshore projects to deliver world-class services to the country’s burgeoning off- shore energy sector.

Taichung port has undergone a number of infrastructure up- grades, including tailor-made wharves and new quays to sup- port both pre-construction and under-construction offshore wind farms off Taiwan’s west coast.

GAC provides offshore support, in addition to ship agency

GAC Ship Agency www.marinelink.com 17

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