Taiwan’s Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. and U.S. conglomerate General Electric Co. concluded a memorandum of understanding Nov. 16 in Taipei City to cooperate on rapidly deployable, or fast power, energy solutions in the local market and Southeast Asia.
Founded by the government in 1996 and privatized in 2014, AIDC is the nation’s leading aerospace manufacturer. Since 2000, the company has expanded its scope to include gas turbine and wind farm construction in Taiwan and biogas applications in Southeast Asia.
Under the MOU, GE will support AIDC’s engineering, procurement and construction projects with its advanced TM2500 aeroderivative gas turbines. Designed to respond to urgent power needs and emergency situations, the generators can be deployed in less than 11 days and produce up to 35 megawatts of electricity per unit.
“The partnership pushes GE-AIDC cooperation to a new level,” Shiah Kang, acting president of AIDC, said during the signing ceremony. “It creates a cooperation model for joint exploration of the fast power generation sectors in the targeted markets.”
Shiah also noted the tie-up is in line with the government’s New Southbound Policy, a comprehensive initiative under which Taiwan is seeking to significantly expand business, cultural, education and tourism links with nations in South and Southeast Asia as well as Australia and New Zealand.
In response, Dave Ross, president of GE Packaged Power Inc., said the U.S. firm is excited about building upon its successful history of working with AIDC to meet critical energy needs across the region.
“This MOU provides both companies with the opportunity to solve some of the toughest challenges Taiwan and Southeast Asia countries face with their growing power demands,” he said. “GE is committed to growing in Taiwan and helping execute the New Southbound Policy.”
Also present to witness the event, Ireas Cook, commercial section chief of the American Institute in Taiwan, said that she expects the collaboration to help create business opportunities topping NT$10 billion (US$312.5 million) in the next three to five years.
AIDC has been supplying aircraft engine parts for GE since 1997. Late last month, the Taiwan firm signed an agreement with GE Aviation to produce additional parts for the LEAP turbofan engine in the period 2016-2020. It was also awarded contracts for new LEAP and LM9000 components from 2017 to 2022. (SFC-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw