Many international investors have been seeking cooperation with domestic firms in tapping off-shore wind power market in Taiwan, with business potential topping NT$100 billion, according to the semi-official Metal Industries Research and Development Center (MIRDC).  

In reflection of the investment rush, some 80-plus representatives from 42 Taiwanese and Danish firms, plus representatives of the Trade Council of Denmark, Taipei, and Danish Wind Export Association, attended a meeting on off-shore wind-power equipment the other day, probing business opportunities of off-shore wind-power market. Danish firms in attendance offered their long-standing experience in the field in helping Taiwanese firms shorten their learning curve for wind-turbine components and parts, undersea structure, and marine engineering, so that Taiwan can become a hub of off-shore wind-power equipment industry in Asia.

They included A2SEA, Bladt, COWI, and LM, all large-scale firms having deployed in Taiwan for quite a while, as well as other Danish firms in the fields of wind-turbine components and parts, undersea structure, and marine engineering. They reported their business track record, as well as experience cooperating with international wind-power firm Ørsted and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), in order to acquaint Taiwanese representatives with the operation and cooperative model for wind-farm development.

The Industrial Development Bureau (IDB), under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, pointed out that in order to push the development of off-shore wind-power industry, construct industrial supply chain, and tap Asia-Pacific market, it unveiled "policy on off-shore wind-power industry" in January this year, calling for the development of infrastructure, pushing of industrial chain, and construction of off-shore wind-power industrial park, so as to attract international wind-power equipment firms investing in Taiwan, in addition to promotion of cooperation between domestic and foreign firms, in the fields of wind-turbine manufacturing, undersea structure, and marine engineering ships, leading to the formation of industrial supply chain. 

The MIRDC pointed out that it has engaged in the development of the off-shore wind-power industry for many years, including rallying marine technology-related industry associations, academic units, and research bodies in forming "Ocean Tech Team O-Team), so as to cultivate more marine-technology talent and stimulate innovation and development of domestic marine-technology industry. Moreover, it assisted China Steel, which has been developing off-shore turbine technology, in joining hands with 27 domestic and foreign firms in the formation of "Wind Team," on top of helping CSBC Corp. unite with 33 firms in the formation of "Marine Team." The MIRDC expects that output value of Taiwan's off-shore wind-power industry will top NT$121.8 billion by 2025, with accumulated new employment of 2,061.

(Photo courtesy of fernando butcher via FlickrCC BY 2.0)