For the Yunlin turbine foundation solution, monopiles have been selected. Each monopile is topped by a transition piece which forms the connection between the monopile and the turbine tower and also supports the access and egress infrastructure.
Monopiles are cylindrical steel pipes, which are rammed into the seabed with a special hydraulic hammer. After installation, only the upper part of the monopile remains visible above the water surface.
Transition pieces are tubular structures that connect the monopile to the turbine tower and are equipped with a working platform. From here - at a height of almost 20 meters above the water surface - access is provided to the inside of the turbine tower for maintenance work.
The foundation structures are designed by JBO. Production of the foundations is split between local companies and suppliers in Europe. The manufacturing of the monopiles has been awarded to Steelwind from Nordenham/Germany and to the Taiwanese company FHI while the transition pieces will be produced by European manufacturer Smulders and CTCI Machinery from Taiwan.
To prepare for the installation of the foundation structures, the ports of Mailiao and Anping have been selected as storage facilities for the prefabricated monopiles. For the transition pieces manufactured by CTCI Machinery, the Kao Ming Container Terminal in Kaohsiung will be used for loading.
The start date for the installation of the foundations is scheduled for July 2020.