MHI Vestas to Source Additional Key Turbine Components Locally in Taiwan

Fassmer Atech Composites Taiwan joint venture to supply MHI Vestas Offshore Wind with spinner covers and nacelle covers for upcoming Taiwanese projects.

Adding to its already lengthy list of components to be sourced in Taiwan for upcoming projects, MHI Vestas has concluded a purchase agreement with the Fassmer Atech Composites Taiwan Ltd. (FACT) joint venture for local supply of spinner covers and nacelle covers.

Spinner covers and nacelle covers are made of a composite glassfiber material and protect the wind turbine systems from the external environment at sea, particularly valuable for often-harsh conditions off the coast of Taiwan.

These components will be used at MHI Vestas’ Changfang Phase 2, Xidao and Zhong Neng projects, adding further credibility to the world’s most ambitious localisation plan currently being delivered by MHI Vestas in Taiwan.

The spinner covers and nacelle covers will be produced for MHI Vestas’ V174 turbines at FACT’s facility in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

“While the offshore wind supply chain is advancing in Taiwan through our early projects, creating opportunities for knowledge transfer is important,” said Maida Zahirovic, MHI Vestas Taiwan Business Director. “The joint venture between Fassmer, a known supplier for wind products, and Atech Composites, a skilled manufacturer with a top class facility, is a perfect fit for building technical knowledge in spinner and nacelle covers in Taiwan. This purchase agreement demonstrates how we are able to facilitate sustainable localisation in Taiwan through certainty in volume.”

“We are delighted to be working with MHI Vestas to supply some of the first offshore wind projects in Taiwan with locally-made spinner covers and nacelle covers,” said Holger Fassmer, Managing Director at Fassmer and Chairman of the Board at FACT. “Our joint venture with Atech Composites, and this contract, creates significant value for the offshore wind supply chain in Taiwan. The production of spinner covers and nacelle covers for MHI Vestas’ V174 platform will ensure that these components made in Taiwan become globally competitive through consistency in volume.”

“Partnering with Fassmer, an established wind power business, is a wonderful opportunity for our company to enter the offshore wind industry,” said Chris Chen, Managing Director of Atech Composites and FACT. “Our facility in Kaohsiung will be the production and operation centre for the spinner covers and nacelle covers, so we will create many sustainable, local jobs in offshore wind here in Taiwan. We are pleased to be supplying MHI Vestas for their V174 turbines.”

Contracts have now been signed by MHI Vestas in Taiwan for local supply of blades, blade materials (bonding glue, resin, pultruded carbon plates), towers, switchgear, rotor hubs, hub plates, nacelle base frames, low voltage cabinets, UPS systems, PCM assembly, spinner covers and nacelle covers with further local supply chain contracts planned for 2020.

At present, MHI Vestas is the only wind turbine manufacturer to procure blades, blade materials, switchgear, fasteners and cables from within Taiwan.