When Lai Wen-Hsiang noticed the type of work his company, Century, had been doing for decades was drying up, he began brainstorming ways to pivot. For years, the company had made steel structures for real estate and public works projects in Taiwan – but these jobs were becoming harder to find. One trend piqued his interest: the boom in offshore wind initiatives rolling out across Europe.
In particular, Lai took note of the behemoth steel structures that support offshore wind turbines. Many of these apparatuses weigh more than a thousand tons and stretch 240 feet high. This type of product, he realized, was the perfect opportunity to evolve the company at which he serves as chairman, now called Century Wind Power (CWP).
Across the entire Asia-Pacific (APAC) region – a part of the world once notoriously dependent upon fossil fuels – interest and investment in renewable energy has skyrocketed over the last few years. Part of the motivation is that the effects of climate change are already hitting close to home. The UN Environment Programme categorizes APAC as one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change in the world. The region also accounts for more than half of all global greenhouse gas emissions.
In Taiwan, the government is making moves to transition to a cleaner, greener future while meeting mounting energy demands. “Our ‘Pathway to Net-Zero Emissions in 2050’ will transform Taiwan into the green energy hub of Asia,” explains Dr. Tze-Luen Lin, Deputy Executive Director of Office of Energy and Carbon Reduction, Executive Yuan (Premier’s Office), Taiwan. “Taiwan plans to promote technology R&D and innovation in key areas, guide the green transition of industry and drive a new wave of economic growth.”
Taiwan leading the APAC region in offshore wind
Taiwan has implemented significant goals for offshore wind as part of the comprehensive plan detailed in its Net-Zero Emissions report released earlier this year. The report outlines a roadmap for the island to produce at least 60% of its total energy via renewable sources by 2050. It also sets a target for wind-power capacity of 40GW by 2050; half that amount is on track to be built out by 2035.
Taiwan’s investment in renewable energy has potential ripple effects. As one of the world’s major manufacturing and supply chain hubs, Taiwan holds considerable sway over economic ecosystems – even ones that are oceans away.
“Transitioning to Net-Zero is not only an environmental issue but also an economic one,” notes Dr. Tze-Luen Lin. “Taiwan has globally competitive technological advantages, and we must invest in new sustainable energy technologies to maintain a competitive edge in green supply chains.”
A leg up for local communities
Taiwan has made impressive inroads toward achieving its offshore wind objectives. In 2019, it launched its first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, Formosa 1, with 128MW of installed capacity. The project currently powers around 128,000 homes annually.
That first initiative laid the groundwork for other, larger ones. Today, in-progress efforts like the Greater Changhua 1 & 2a Offshore Wind Farms, which will be located off Taiwan’s west coast, are nearing completion. These farms will provide clean energy to more than a million households and boast more than 900MW of capacity.
“Taiwan is the APAC frontrunner in offshore wind because it has the fundamentals right,” says Christy Wang, General Manager of Ørsted Taiwan, the world’s largest developer of offshore wind power. “This includes having a clear regulatory framework, ambitious offshore wind targets, a transparent allocation and auction scheme and consent process.”
The uptick in the industry has also given local Taiwanese job-seekers a chance to embrace new trades and technologies. “We are always looking for people motivated to create a world that runs entirely on green energy,” says Wang, noting that Ørsted hires talent from backgrounds including engineering, commercial, environmental, regulatory and a wide range of corporate roles.
Bob (Chun-yi) Chuang, who was part of the first cohort of Ørsted’s Taiwanese Operations and Maintenance (O&M) team and now works as a wind turbine generator technician, has seen the impacts of offshore wind on the local job market first-hand. Chuang originally worked overseas as an electrician but returned to Taiwan when the pandemic struck in 2020. He joined Ørsted the following year, and completed a secondment to train on Ørsted’s UK projects in 2021.
Chuang calls his current role a “dream career.” “I feel excited to join this green energy industry,” he says. “You can learn different technical skills while working on the ocean. You also get to share cultural experiences with people from around the world.”
Learning the ins and outs of a new industry
Of course, building the foundations of a new industry from the ground up is not without difficulties. The concept of offshore energy production is completely novel in Taiwan; there is no existing offshore oil or gas infrastructure. There has been a learning curve.
“We have navigated both predictable and unpredictable challenges,” says Wang. For instance, the team spent years studying the unique sitebed conditions and climate considerations of the Taiwan Strait. “We had to engineer solutions to withstand typhoons and earthquakes,” she explains.
For Lai at CWP, working collaboratively with Ørsted has helped his company overcome an abrupt transition to a new niche. “It’s all been new: the equipment is new, the product is new and the technicians are new to this work. We’ve learned a lot,” he says.
Some of those learnings included how to create specific parts for the massive turbines that will power the Greater Changhua 1 & 2a farms, which will house 111 in-house-designed jacket foundations. Each foundation is affixed by three pin-piles – steel pipes more than 13 feet in diameter and up to 295 feet long – that will be driven into the seabed.
Ørsted also partners with other local companies. “Our teams have developed a local supply chain with many first-time suppliers for offshore wind,” explains Wang. “For example, the turbine towers and the entire onshore substations are locally constructed.”
With APAC sometimes called a “gigantic domino” in the fight against climate change, efforts in renewable energy could be make-or-break for the region – and the world. By setting an example in offshore wind, Taiwan is creating a blueprint for future renewable energy transitions.
For Lai, being a part of helping Taiwan reach a new level of sustainability is rewarding. “With the power of the wind and the sun, we can make energy ourselves,” he says, noting that if they can do it, other countries can follow suit. “I had to build the nest to attract the phoenix,” he says. “I will never give up on this industry, no matter how big the obstacles.”