President Tsai Ing-wen said Oct. 16 that development of Taiwan’s green energy sector is on the fast track as evidenced by milestone offshore wind and land-based photovoltaic projects.
 
Formosa I off the coast of Miaoli County in northern Taiwan and the solar farm in central Taiwan’s Changhua Coastal Industrial Park are expanding the country’s renewable power capacity and spurring industrial upgrades, Tsai said. These accomplishments also play an important role in raising Taiwan’s profile in related industries worldwide, she added.
 
Tsai made the remarks during the opening ceremony of Energy Taiwan Expo at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center.
 
According to Tsai, the government aims to generate 20 percent of Taiwan’s energy from renewable sources by 2025, with developing green technologies a major focus of the five-plus-two industrial innovation initiative. The comprehensive economic revitalization strategy also targets the high-growth sectors of biotech, green energy, national defense, smart machinery and Internet of Things, as well as a new paradigm for agricultural development.
 
Ministry of Economic Affairs data indicates that Formosa I’s 22 wind turbines have an installed capacity of 128 megawatts. The facility is expected to help Taiwan achieve 5.7 gigawatts by 2025, and attract almost NT$1 trillion (US$32.6 billion) in investment while generating NT$1.2 trillion in output and creating 20,000 quality jobs.
 
A total 300,000 PV panels with an overall capacity of 100 megawatts are in place at CCIP, the MOEA said, adding that the solar farm is viewed as a major driver of economic activity in Changhua and surrounding regions going forward. (YCH-E)
 
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