Ciel & Terre Taiwan, HEXA Complete Floating Solar Project In Taiwan

By Chitrika Grover/ Updated On Wed, Feb 21st, 2024

Highlights :

Ciel & Terre Taiwan, in collaboration with HEXA Renewables, have taken those parameters with a customized floating solar solution including an upgraded spreader bar and fixation parts, and a reinforced connection pin to strengthen the material to resist to wave conditions.

Ciel & Terre Taiwan, HEXA Complete Floating Solar Project In Taiwan

Ciel & Terre Taiwan, HEXA Completes Floating Solar Project In Taiwan

Ciel & Terre Taiwan, a floating solar PV (FPV) solution provider, and HEXA Renewables, a pan-Asia renewable energy platform, recently announced the successful conclusion of Taiwan’s near-shore floating solar projects. The project is situated within the Changbin Industrial Park in Changhua County, this project represents a significant milestone in the renewable energy landscape of Taiwan.

Currently, the entire completed FPV project in the Changbin industrial zone is about 440MWp, with Ciel & Terre Taiwan here representing 280MWp of FPV. Changbin #3 and #4, representing 192.3 MWp, are extensions of the former Changbin floating solar project built in Taiwan in 2020 in the same area. This project generates approximately 260GWh per annum, reduces 138,000 tons of CO2 every year, and is equivalent to the energy consumption of 65,000 average households annually.

The Changbin #3 and #4 projects started construction in October 2022 and achieved the first COD in October 2023 with several large arrays spreading over 171 hectares of water surface on this near-protected intertidal area. The area is considered one of the most challenging for FPV due to the twice-a-day tidal changes in the water environment with occasional typhoons, all of which have been taken into account in the FPV project design.

For this large-scale floating solar project, Ciel &Terre Taiwan has partnered with a group of Taiwanese suppliers for the design of the FPV plant and anchoring system, the floats manufacturing, and supply and construction support for EPC works regarding the Hydrelio floating platform assembly.

The design of the platform and the anchoring of such a floating solar array is one of the biggest challenges, not only because of the project size but mainly due to the near-shore environment. Indeed, for this project. There were a lot of tough parameters to consider at the design stage to ensure the robustness of the system under all kinds of conditions: sea water, waves, tidal changes, and occasional typhoons.

Ciel & Terre Taiwan, in collaboration with HEXA Renewables, have taken those parameters with a customized floating solar solution including an upgraded spreader bar and fixation parts, and a reinforced connection pin to strengthen the material to resist wave conditions.

Changbin #3 and #4 are unique also because the Ciel & Terre Taiwan team, in collaboration with HEXA Renewables, successfully developed a patented technology called the New Pillar Anchoring Solution. This project is the first large-scale one to use concrete pillars and an H-beam system for anchoring design. To ensure the reliability of its anchoring solution, Ciel & Terre Taiwan has worked with experts from various fields such as Marine Engineering companies, plastic mold companies, structural engineers, and Hydraulic engineering experts to finalize the parts and whole structure.

The successful completion of the Changbin 3 and 4 projects exemplifies the collaborative efforts of Ciel & Terre Taiwan and HEXA Renewables in advancing renewable energy initiatives in Taiwan. Through innovative technology, strategic partnerships, and construction support, this near-shore floating solar project sets a new standard for sustainable energy production, paving the way for further developments in the renewable energy sector.