Taiwan wind alliance to complete first project in 2013

Taiwan will have its first offshore wind farm in Changhua County, central Taiwan by 2013.

This will be set up by the Taiwan Offshore Wind Power Alliance, which was formed in October 2010 with the participation of 18 firms from the electro-mechanical, plastics and chemical, parts and components, and maritime engineering sectors, who plans to not only operate in Taiwan but eventually overseas.

H.Y. Lin, general manager of Yuan Chuan Energy Corp., said the alliance will set up Taiwan`s first offshore wind farm in Changhua County, investing between US$1.97 billion and US$2.29 billion to install 122 wind turbines which will begin commercial operation in the second quarter of 2013.

The leading members of the alliance include Formosa Heavy Industries Corp., China Steel Machinery Corp., Tatung Co., Red Blades Windtek Corp., Swancor Corp., Yuan Chuan Energy Corp., Taiwan Cogeneration Corp., Fortune Electric Co., Allis Electric Corp., CSBC Corp., Taiwan, and Yeong Guan Energy Technology Group, with the 18 members boasting market capitalization exceeding US$6.56 billion and pledging to create Taiwan`s pilot offshore wind farm by tapping cross-industry partnership.

According to cens.com, the construction of the offshore wind farm will be led by Yuan Chuan Energy, Swancor and Red Blades Windtek, with the proposed wind farm to have two sets of 5MW wind turbines that are expected to pass environmental impact assessment in 2012, after which the alliance will be licensed to start construction.

Swancor chairman C.Y. Tsai said the alliance will invest between US$32.8 million and US$39.4 million to install the two wind turbines in the first-stage, with another 122 wind turbines to be installed between 2014 and 2016 in the second stage.

Tsai said that the total potential wind energy in the Taiwan Strait totals nine gigawatts, allowing for the installation of 2,000-odd wind turbines to create US$32.8 billion in business opportunities.