President Tsai Ing-wen said May 5 that offshore wind power projects mark a new chapter in energy sector transformation and highlight the government’s commitment to embracing renewables.
Noting that the Ministry of Economic Affairs has selected seven local and foreign companies to build 10 wind farms off the country’s western coast, Tsai said that this is the first time Taiwan has initiated large-scale offshore wind energy development. These sites will deliver considerable progress toward the government’s target of 5.5 gigawatts in offshore capacity by 2025, she added.
Tsai made the remarks while visiting Changhua and Miaoli counties in central and northern Taiwan, respectively, to receive updates on related efforts. Seven of the farms are expected to be built off Changhua, with one each for Miaoli, Taoyuan City, northern Taiwan, and Yunlin County, western Taiwan.
According to the MOEA, the 10 sites will have an overall installed capacity of 3.836 GW, with the seven in Changhua boasting a combined 2.4 GW and the other three 1.436 GW.
Tsai said that the wind farms are expected to attract almost NT$1 trillion (US$33.58 billion) in investment and create up to 20,000 job opportunities. The projects will also promote the upgrading of local materials and systems supply chains as well as strengthen expertise in such fields as marine construction and engineering, she added.
The government aims to achieve a nuclear-free homeland and generate 20 percent of Taiwan’s energy from renewable sources by 2025, the president said, adding that developing green technologies is a major focus of the five-plus-two innovative industries initiative.
This economic revitalization program also targets the high-growth sectors of biotech and pharmaceuticals, national defense, smart machinery and Internet of Things, as well as the promotion of two core concepts: the circular economy and a new paradigm for agricultural development.
According to the MOEA, the government’s energy transformation initiatives are already yielding positive results, with solar and wind power generation both reaching record highs in 2017. Ministry data showed that solar climbed 49.4 percent year on year to 1.69 billion kilowatt-hours, while wind surged 17.1 percent to 1.71 billion kWh. (KWS-E)
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