Taiwan’s solar and wind energy installations would generate revenue of more than NT$2 trillion (US$72.09 billion) and create 160,000 jobs by 2025, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday, reiterating the nation’s resolve to energy transition.
Tsai made the remarks at the opening of the three-day Energy Taiwan exposition at the Nangang Exhibition Center’s Hall 2 in Taipei.
Exports of Taiwan’s semiconductor manufacturing facilities in the third quarter exceeded US$7.3 billion, making it the biggest market in the world, Tsai said, citing Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International data.
Photo courtesy of the British Office Taipei
The booming semiconductor industry is increasing demand for green power, while the government is committed to expanding the green energy industry, she said.
By 2025, the nation’s wind and solar power installations would create investments of up to NT$1.7 trillion, revenue of more than NT$2 trillion and 160,000 jobs, Tsai said.
“The UK is supporting Taiwan in its energy transition,” British Representative to Taiwan John Dennis said at the British pavilion later. “We are partnering with Taiwan to turbocharge its offshore wind sector and become the regional leader in clean growth.”
“Now, Taiwan is the UK’s largest offshore wind market in Asia-Pacific,” Dennis said. “I would like to congratulate the Bureau of Energy and the Ministry of Economic Affairs on their third round offshore wind development plan, and their target to achieve 20.5 gigawatts in capacity by 2035.”
Taiwan, although it was not part of the COP26 negotiations, has an important role to play, as it is the world’s 21st-largest economy and a top-25 emitter of carbon dioxide, he said.
The envoy also welcomed Taiwan’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050 and its plan to legislate a carbon pricing scheme.
“The UK’s credit agency ... has provided more than ￡500 million [US$659.78 million] in credit guarantees to three offshore wind farms in Taiwan,” he said.
It is the first time that the British Office Taipei has had a UK-themed pavilion at the annual energy exposition, the office said.
There are more than 30 British offshore wind companies with offices in Taiwan, with eight — Aggreko International Projects, Correll Electrical Engineering Taiwan Branch, CWind Taiwan, Flotation Energy Taiwan, James Fisher Renewables, Offshore Wind Consultants Taiwan, Taiwan Mott MacDonald and Taylor Hopkinson — exhibiting, it said.
The companies are to demonstrate the breadth of British expertise, including offshore wind farm planning and construction, engineering consultancy, crew transfer vessels, operations and maintenance, blade services, floating wind technology, and temporary power and temperature solutions for offshore wind farms, it said.
Also at the exposition are a handful of German and Dutch companies, including RWE Renewables Taiwan, Phoenix Contact and Boskalis Hwachi Offshore Wind Taiwan.
The COVID-19 pandemic has hindered the progress of some offshore installations, but the situation is expected to improve from next year, German Offshore-Wind Initiative Taiwan representative David Chiang (蔣大巍) said.
Many energy developers are competing for the third phase of Taiwan’s offshore wind farm plan, after the ministry in July started accepting applications, he said.
Floating wind technology is expected to become a new trend, Chiang said, adding that the government should ensure the consistency of energy policy to minimize the risks for energy developers.
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
DISCONTENT: The CCP finds positive content about the lives of the Chinese living in Taiwan threatening, as such video could upset people in China, an expert said Chinese spouses of Taiwanese who make videos about their lives in Taiwan have been facing online threats from people in China, a source said yesterday. Some young Chinese spouses of Taiwanese make videos about their lives in Taiwan, often speaking favorably about their living conditions in the nation compared with those in China, the source said. However, the videos have caught the attention of Chinese officials, causing the spouses to come under attack by Beijing’s cyberarmy, they said. “People have been messing with the YouTube channels of these Chinese spouses and have been harassing their family members back in China,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said there are four weather systems in the western Pacific, with one likely to strengthen into a tropical storm and pose a threat to Taiwan. The nascent tropical storm would be named Usagi and would be the fourth storm in the western Pacific at the moment, along with Typhoon Yinxing and tropical storms Toraji and Manyi, the CWA said. It would be the first time that four tropical cyclones exist simultaneously in November, it added. Records from the meteorology agency showed that three tropical cyclones existed concurrently in January in 1968, 1991 and 1992.
GEOPOLITICAL CONCERNS: Foreign companies such as Nissan, Volkswagen and Konica Minolta have pulled back their operations in China this year Foreign companies pulled more money from China last quarter, a sign that some investors are still pessimistic even as Beijing rolls out stimulus measures aimed at stabilizing growth. China’s direct investment liabilities in its balance of payments dropped US$8.1 billion in the third quarter, data released by the Chinese State Administration of Foreign Exchange showed on Friday. The gauge, which measures foreign direct investment (FDI) in China, was down almost US$13 billion for the first nine months of the year. Foreign investment into China has slumped in the past three years after hitting a record in 2021, a casualty of geopolitical tensions,
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