Taiwan’s Government is making good on longstanding plans to close nuclear power plants and invest heavily in offshore wind energy. Late April 2018 saw the authorities in Taiwan announce the results of the first large-scale auction for offshore wind in the country, a process that will eventually see around 3.8 GW of capacity being built there. This demonstrates the Taiwanese Government’s determination to follow-through and execute plans announced earlier for the sector. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has proposed to end the country’s dependence on nuclear power by 2025 while sourcing 20% of Taiwan’s electricity from renewable sources – that is, five times the level in 2015. That plan depends heavily on offshore wind, for which the Taiwan Strait is seen as particularly well-suited. Data provided by law firm Jones Day showed that in 2016, electricity generated from renewable energy accounted for 4.8% of the aggregate produced electricity and 9.4% of the aggregate installed capacity in Taiwan, so the government’s strategy is certainly an ambitious one. In due course the Taiwanese Government would like to have an energy mix of 50% natural gas, 30% coal and 20% renewable energy.
Offshore Wind Journal 10th May 2018 read more »
