Industrial Development Bureau, Ministry of Economic Affairs

Under the leadership of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) in driving offshore wind development, wind farm developers had completed the first two 4-MW demonstration turbines in Taiwan in 2017. Today, May 18th, marks the beginning of construction of Formosa demonstration wind farm, the very first offshore wind farm in Taiwan. Featuring twenty 6-MW turbines with a total installed capacity of 120MW, the project represents a milestone achievement of Taiwan’s efforts in promoting renewable energy. President Tsai today paid a visit to Wharf 2 at Taichung Port, where heavy equipment such as turbine nacelles, rotor blades and towers of Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy(SGRE) await further assembly. The president acknowledged the efforts and contribution of developers in boosting offshore wind development in Taiwan, and expressed high hopes that the developers could export Taiwan’s successful experience to other Asian countries, and make Taiwan the pioneer in Asia-Pacific’s offshore wind market.

Installation of foundation for the twenty turbines of Formosa demonstration wind farm is scheduled for completion in July, 2019, while turbine generator installation and cable-laying work will conclude in August. Following necessary testing, commercial operation is set to begin by the end of 2019. In her remarks, the President stated that in addition to developing demonstration wind farms, the government has been working to implement the policy for the offshore wind energy industry, and spared no efforts in facilitating the localization of the offshore wind industry. These efforts have born initial fruits, with the Industrial Zone (II) at Taichung Port successfully transformed into a special zone for the manufacturing of offshore wind turbine components. To date, a number of industry players have set up factories in the designated zone, such as Chin Fong/CS Wing (Tower), Yeong Guan Energy Technology (Hub casting), Tien Li Offshore Wind Technology (Blade) and Tai-Shing-Century (Transition piece). Along with the production capacity in Taipei Port and the foundation production base in Hsin-Ta Harbor at Kaohsiung, it is estimated that the manufacturing sector will reach NT$636.3 billion by 2025, with O&M output value hitting NT$658.7 billion in total during a 20-year period. Value creation for the industry is expected to total NT$1.2 trillion.