GWEC and ECCT: Taiwan’s offshore wind ambitions are within reach and will power a green recovery

Taipei, 12 October 2020: The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and the European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan (ECCT) are bringing together Taiwan’s policymakers, offshore wind leaders, investors and other stakeholders over the next three days to power the growth of Taiwan’s burgeoning offshore wind market at the Global Offshore Wind Summit – Taiwan Virtual 2020.

Taiwan’s offshore wind ambition is widely recognised as one of the most exciting new markets for offshore wind, driven by coal retirement and a vision for a green economy. All eyes are now on Taiwan as it will connect 5.5 GW of new offshore wind capacity by 2025 and another 10 GW will be tendered by the government through the Round 3 auctions for commissioning by 2035.

Shen Jong- Chin, Vice Premier of Executive Yuan, R.O.C. (Taiwan), said: “The Round 3 will release 1GW of installation per year after 2025. By 2035, Taiwan will have a cumulative offshore wind capacity of 15.7 GW, with 590 TWh of electricity produced. This will bring 2.6trillion NTD ($90 billion USD) of investment and create 57,000 jobs by 2035”.

Wang Mei, Minister of Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), R.O.C. (Taiwan), said: “Under COVID-19, MOEA has facilitated over 1,000 foreign professionals and workers to enter Taiwan to participate in offshore wind farm development. This has shown the Taiwanese government’s commitment to develop offshore wind, even despite all the difficulties within the context of the global pandemic.”

Ben Backwell, CEO of GWEC, said: “It has been exciting watching Taiwan emerge as a leading offshore wind market in the region. Over the past year, we have seen local partnerships being developed with global offshore wind leaders, new manufacturing facilities being built, and landmark PPA deals being signed, which signals that the offshore wind industry is committed to building up the local industry. However, now we must make sure that Taiwan doesn’t slow down these impressive developments and that it puts in place a localisation strategy that can support it’s ambition in the most efficient and effective way possible”.

“Key to this is an open dialogue between policymakers and industry to jointly create the best path forward to reap the benefits that offshore wind offers. If done right, Taiwan will be on track to generate over 20,000 jobs and nearly $30 billion in inward investment by 2025. Given the current global economic impacts of COVID-19, this represents a huge opportunity for Taiwan to drive a green economy while realising their offshore wind goals”, he added.

Giuseppe Izzo, Chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan, said: “After the first commercial offshore wind farm started operation in 2012, the real benefits of offshore wind, such as the reduction of carbon emissions and alleviation of local pollution, are starting to kick in. This is also a big step forward for Taiwan’s energy transition, and proves that Taiwan has the potential to become one of the biggest offshore wind markets in the world. Following the success of Global Offshore Wind Summit Taiwan 2019, this year’s summit will continue discussing the pertinent issues related to regulations, financing and O&M of offshore wind farms in Taiwan. Using the platform of the summit, we hope this can help Taiwan to continue being a leader of the global energy transition”.

The Global Offshore Wind Summit Taiwan – Virtual 2020 is attended by  delegates from across the world and includes the participation of local policymakers such as Taiwan’s Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-Hua, Director General Yu Cheng-Wei of Bureau of Energy (BOE), Director General Leu Jang-Hwa of Industrial Development Bureau (IDB), Director General Lien Ching-Chang of Bureau of Standards Methodology and Inspection (BSMI), among others including local government representatives.

Over the next three days, the Global Offshore Wind Summit – Taiwan Virtual 2020 will include a high-level conference programme, technical and special topical sessions, a virtual exhibition, networking, business matchmaking and much more to bring together all the most relevant stakeholders in Taiwan’s offshore wind market and drive the growth of the industry.

For more information on the summit and to register, visit the event website here.

About the ECCT

The European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan (ECCT) promotes the interests of European companies operating in Taiwan through proactive engagement with government and institutions and by providing a platform for business networking and development opportunities. The ECCT’s Low Carbon Initiative (LCI) was started to showcase the best European low carbon solutions and practices across a broad range of industries, to raise awareness about sustainable development and promote the adoption of low carbon solutions in order to help Taiwan to reduce its carbon emissions. See more: https://www.ecct.com.tw/ & https://www.ecct.com.tw/lci/

About GWEC

GWEC is a member-based organization that represents the entire wind energy sector. The members of GWEC represent over 1,500 companies, organizations and institutions in more than 80 countries, including manufacturers, developers, component suppliers, research institutes, national wind and renewables associations, electricity providers, finance and insurance companies. See https://gwec.net/

Keep up to date with GWEC and receive the latest data and insights on the global wind industry on Twitter, LinkedIn and by subscribing to the Newsletter, https://gwec.net/newsletter-sign-up/.