Currently MVOW has already obtained priority negotiation rights with China Steel and Denmark’s Copenhagen Infrastructure Project (CIP) for three offshore wind farms and have also signed memorandums of cooperation with China Steel Manufacturing Corporation (CSMC) (wind turbine towers), Tien Li (blade manufacturing), Swancor (composites/resins), and Formosa Plastics Corporation (materials for blade manufacturing). Furthermore, after signing the agreement with MVOW, TECO will provide generator equipment which will also enable Taiwan’s offshore wind power supply chain to be more fully equipped.

TECO Chairman Sophia Chiu stated that TECO has already dwelled in the domain of electric power for a number of years and primarily produced wind farms on land. TECO has also continuously waited for a localization policy for the wind power supply chain to fall into place with the objective of becoming a components supplier.

She also emphasized that the prototypes for this collaboration with MOVW are projected to be completed in 2020, and implementation of the schedule is expected to commence a year earlier. In the future, if TECO enters into the supply chain list, local manufacturing of wind turbines will not only be able to supply power to the Taiwanese market, but also be able to enter markets in locations such as Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia.

With regards to the specialized environment for wind power in Taiwan, it is actually the summer season which is problematic, and MVOW CEO Lars Bondo Krogsgaard emphasized that the wind turbines completed in 2020 will be equipped with the ability to resist typhoons and be specially designed for regions with tropical storms, such as Taiwan.

In addition, in accordance with MOVW’s data, in order to respond to the requirement to be typhoon-resistant, the wind turbine platforms will be equipped with 60Hz of operational capability and have the capacity to be operational in extreme winds.

Deputy Director of TECO’s wind power team, Gary Sun commented that in order to meet the needs of typhoon-resistance, in addition to having specialized designs on the turbine blades, there also have to be coping mechanisms in the design of the generator side in order to handle the instantaneous changes in power during extreme wind conditions.

(TR/ Phil Sweeney)