Fugro Wins Geotechnical Survey Contract for 600 MW FengMiao II Offshore Wind Farm in Taiwan

Fugro has been awarded the geotechnical site investigation contract for the 600 MW FengMiao II Offshore Wind Farm by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, one of the developers selected under Taiwan's Round 3.2 offshore wind tender. The contract supports Taiwan's national target of reaching 13.1 GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030, and the offshore fieldwork campaign is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2026 using Fugro's Taiwan-flagged vessel Pacific Hornbill.

 

Strategic Importance of FengMiao II in Taiwan's Pipeline

 

FengMiao II is positioned as a key project within Taiwan's Round 3.2 offshore wind allocation, a tender phase that has become central to the country's ability to meet its 2030 capacity target. Taiwan's offshore wind programme is one of the most established in Asia outside China, and the country's pipeline has become a focal point for international developers, financiers, and supply chain players seeking long-term exposure to a stable Asia-Pacific renewables market. CIP's selection of Fugro for the geotechnical site investigation is significant because foundation design and installation risk are among the most consequential cost drivers in offshore wind, and high-quality geotechnical data underpins both the engineering and the financing of any large project.

 

Scope of the Geotechnical Site Investigation

 

Fugro will deliver a comprehensive suite of geotechnical services covering the wind farm site off the west coast of Taiwan. Geotechnical site investigation provides the subsurface data required to design foundations that can withstand the loads imposed by turbines, currents, and seismic activity over a 25 to 30 year operational life. The data also feeds directly into procurement decisions, since the geological characteristics of a site determine the optimal foundation type and the structural specifications of the units to be installed. A high-quality investigation campaign therefore reduces both engineering risk and the contingency margins that financiers typically apply to projects with uncertain subsurface conditions.

 

Vessel and Equipment Capabilities

 

The offshore investigation will be carried out using the Pacific Hornbill, a Taiwan-flagged Fugro vessel equipped with the C30 marine drilling rig. The vessel will deploy Fugro's proprietary WISON MkV EcoDrive downhole in situ testing and sampling tools, alongside specialised seabed geotechnical equipment, including the SEACALF MkV Deep Drive system. The combined toolset enables the acquisition of high-quality geotechnical data in both seabed and downhole modes, allowing the campaign to capture a layered understanding of soil conditions across the project area. The use of a locally flagged vessel is also commercially important for offshore wind work in Taiwan, where local content and flag requirements have been a recurring feature of the regulatory environment.

 

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Local Content and Flag Considerations

 

Taiwan has structured its offshore wind tender process around significant local content requirements, designed to support the development of a domestic offshore wind supply chain. The deployment of a Taiwan-flagged vessel for the FengMiao II investigation aligns Fugro's operational footprint with these expectations and reinforces the company's positioning as a credible partner for projects subject to local content scrutiny. For developers, contracting with providers who can deliver on local flag and content requirements without compromising on technical capability is an increasingly important consideration in tender evaluations and project execution planning.

 

Fugro's Track Record in Taiwan and Asia-Pacific

 

Fugro has been active in Taiwan's offshore wind market since 2016, building a delivery track record across multiple projects in the country. Safri Drahman, Fugro's regional business line director for Asia-Pacific, has framed the FengMiao II award as a reflection of the trust placed by CIP in the company's accumulated experience and its delivery of geo-data solutions to offshore wind clients in Taiwan. That track record is a significant commercial asset because offshore wind developers operating in complex jurisdictions tend to favour service providers with demonstrated familiarity with local regulatory, environmental, and supply chain conditions. Continuity of provider also supports faster project mobilisation, which can be a meaningful schedule advantage in markets where development timelines are tightly defined.

 

Project Timeline and Delivery Window

 

The geotechnical fieldwork campaign is scheduled to be completed in the third quarter of 2026, providing CIP with the data needed to advance detailed foundation design and procurement activities. The timeline is consistent with the broader development cadence required to bring Round 3.2 projects toward construction within the timeframe needed to contribute to Taiwan's 2030 capacity target. Delivering site investigation work to schedule is particularly important in the current market environment, where installation vessel availability, foundation manufacturing capacity, and turbine supply slots are all under pressure across the global offshore wind industry.

 

Implications for the Asia-Pacific Offshore Wind Market

 

The FengMiao II award reflects continued momentum in Asia-Pacific offshore wind despite the broader cost and supply chain challenges facing the global industry. CIP is one of the most active international developers in the region, and its commitment to advancing FengMiao II reinforces the credibility of Taiwan's offshore wind programme as a destination for institutional capital. For service providers such as Fugro, the project represents an extension of a long-running strategic positioning in Asia-Pacific renewables that combines technical capability with deep local presence. As Taiwan moves through the execution phase of Round 3.2 and prepares for subsequent allocation rounds, demand for high-quality geotechnical investigation work, locally flagged survey vessels, and integrated marine geo-data services is likely to remain robust.

 

Wider Significance for Offshore Wind Site Characterisation

 

Beyond the specific FengMiao II contract, the award highlights the increasing technical sophistication required for offshore wind site characterisation. As projects move into deeper waters and as turbines scale toward 15 MW and beyond, the engineering tolerances on foundations are tightening, which in turn raises the precision required from geotechnical investigations. The combination of advanced drilling rigs, proprietary downhole sampling technology, and specialised seabed systems used in the FengMiao II campaign reflects the broader direction of travel in the segment, where the next generation of offshore wind projects will rely on high-resolution geo-data to manage cost, schedule, and execution risk across increasingly demanding development environments.