Lantern Festival Outreach: Hai Long Project Partners with Fishermen's Associations in Changhua and Penghu to Support Senior Community Meals

The Hai Long Project team partnered with the Changhua Fishermen's Association to support community meal programs for local seniors.

On the occasion of the Lantern Festival, the Hai Long Offshore Wind Project (the "Hai Long Project") this week visited local communities to celebrate the holiday together. CEO and Project Director Tim Kittelhake, along with Deputy Executive Vice President Jun Tamura, led project teams to the Fulun Community in Shanlun Village, Lukang Township, Changhua County, and to the Baisha Day Care Center of the Peace Foundation in Penghu.

For this initiative, the Project procured seafood products from the fisheries associations in Changhua and Penghu to provide additional dishes for the elderly, thereby supporting the development of local industries. Team members also volunteered to serve meals and accompany seniors during the festive celebration. Through these tangible actions, the Hai Long Project continues to deepen its engagement with local communities and fulfill its corporate social responsibility commitments.

Public–Private Collaboration Responds to Local Resource Needs

(Left) Hai Long Project CEO Tim Kittelhake enjoyed making handmade fish sausages together with seniors during the activity, (Right) Hai Long Project Executive Vice President Jun Tamura visited the Baisha Peace Foundation in Penghu, celebrating the Lantern Festival with local seniors.

As of the end of last year, Taiwan's population aged 65 and above accounted for 20.06%, officially marking the country's entry into a super-aged society, with the trend particularly pronounced in rural and offshore island communities. Shanlun Village in Lukang Township, Changhua County, located near the Changhua-Coastal Industrial Park landfall point of the Hai Long Project, is one of the few large neighbourhoods in the county encompassing three separate communities.

Among them, the Fulun Community serves the largest number of residents, providing daily services for approximately 130 elderly individuals. Meanwhile, the Peace Foundation in Baisha Township, Penghu County, operates a day-care centre that supports the county government in delivering localised elderly care services.

After gaining a clearer understanding of local needs, the Hai Long Project responded by purchasing locally sourced seafood, helping to sustain community meal programmes. This initiative aligns with a collaborative model of "government guidance, corporate support, and community implementation," jointly strengthening the social safety net.

The event received strong support from local stakeholders. Attendees included Wei-Gu Chen, Secretary-General of the Changhua Fishermen's Association, along with Shih-Hsiung Kuo, Secretary of the association; Wen-Man Hung, Section Chief of Senior Welfare at the Changhua County Government's Department of Social Affairs; You-Hong Li, Chairman of the Fulun Community Development Association, and Li-Ling Hsu, the association's Secretary-General; as well as Ming-Lung Huang, Acting Village Chief of Shanlun Village. In Penghu, the initiative was represented by Chung-Pin Shen, Director of the Baisha Day Care Center under the Peace Foundation.

Local Procurement Extends the Spirit of Green Care

(Left) Members of the Hai Long team volunteered to help serve meals, accompanying seniors in a warm and festive Lantern Festival celebration, (Right) The Hai Long Project purchased seafood products from the Penghu Fishermen's Association to enrich the seniors' meals while supporting the development of local industries.

Rather than providing direct financial subsidies, the initiative supported local communities through procurement of seafood products via regional fishermen's associations, enabling corporate resources to flow back into local industries while simultaneously sustaining community-based elderly care services. Coinciding with the Lantern Festival, the Hai Long team also prepared red bean tangyuan, sharing the festive moment with local seniors.

The Changhua Fishermen's Association has long promoted the concept of "Green Care Stations," offering courses, communal meals, and companionship activities to encourage social interaction, learning, and health engagement among elderly residents, thereby enhancing their quality of life. During the event, the fishermen's association also donated meal boxes used for community dining programmes, joining the Hai Long Project in supporting the wellbeing of local seniors.

Tim Kittelhake, CEO and Project Director of the Hai Long Project, stated: "The Hai Long Project is not only a driver of the energy transition, but also a member of the local community. We will continue supporting the development of coastal regions and the promotion of Satoyama and Satoumi initiatives. By actively participating in community meal programmes and volunteer services, and aligning with local ageing policies, we aim to build long-term relationships with the communities that host the wind farm."

Looking ahead, the Hai Long Project will continue to respond to evolving local needs. While advancing renewable energy development, it will further deepen community engagement initiatives, bringing lasting positive contributions to the regions surrounding the wind farm.

About the Hai Long Offshore Wind Project

Located 45 to 70 kilometers off the coast of Changhua County, at water depths ranging from 35 to 55 meters, the Hai Long Offshore Wind Project includes Hai Long 2 and Hai Long 3 wind farms. The project is being jointly developed by Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Japan), Northland Power Inc. (Canada), and Gentari International Renewables Pte. Ltd. (Malaysia). With a total installed capacity of over 1GW, Hai Long is set to provide stable and clean renewable energy to more than one million homes in Taiwan upon completion.