Taiwan is a front-runner in the Asia-Pacific in installed offshore wind power capacity thanks to the joint effort of the public and private sectors. (MOFA)
 

Taiwan’s installed offshore wind power capacity reached 2.25 gigawatts in 2023, topping democracies in the Asia-Pacific and ranking among the few countries in the world whose capacities have broken the 2 GW threshold, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said Jan. 2.

Citing statistics compiled by Brussels-based Global Wind Energy Council, the MOEA said COVID-19 has severely impacted offshore wind power growth around the world since 2019. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war is also putting its development on hold in many European countries such as Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K., it added.

Despite these factors, Taiwan has continued to expand offshore wind farms as planned thanks to the collective effort of government agencies and private sector partners, the ministry said, adding that the result is on target with the goal of between 2.03 GW and 2.43 GW in stored capacity by 2023.

The MOEA said the achievement is particularly impressive given the fact that there are only six or seven months per year when construction work is possible due to weather constraints like the several typhoons that either made landfall in or passed nearby Taiwan in 2023.

According to the ministry, offshore wind power development is a top priority of the government’s green energy transition policy, which aims to set up between 314 and 374 wind turbines with an accumulated installed capacity of 2.56 GW to 3.04 GW by year-end. (SFC-E)