Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊, third right) and Economic Affairs Minister Shen Jong-chin (沈榮津, second right)

Taipei, April 15 (CNA) A groundbreaking ceremony for a factory in Kaohsiung to produce structural steel foundations for offshore wind farms took place in Hsinta Harbor on Sunday, a new step forward in Taiwan's development of offshore wind power.

The factory, expected to be completed in 2019, has been designed to produce 50-60 of the foundations, known as jacket substructures, a year when it comes into production, according to China Steel Corp. (CSC), the main investor in the new facility.

CSC's board of directors passed in late March the proposal to invest NT$3.42 billion to build a facility to manufacture jacket substructures, according to CSC Chairman Wong Chao-tung (翁朝棟).

On April 11, the company received a construction license from the Kaohsiung City government to build the factory.

The company has forged partnerships with 11 enterprises in the offshore power generation sector, including seven based in Kaohsiung, according to Wong.

The company and its factory will occupy an area of 27 hectares in the Kaohsiung Marine Technology Industry Innovation Zone of Hsinta Harbor.

Economic Affairs Minister Shen Jong-chin (沈榮津) said during the ceremony that the government plans to install 700 offshore wind power turbines under its renewable power policy, and each will require a jacket structure.

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊), who will step down on April 23 to become Presidential Office secretary-general, said she hoped the factory's construction can be completed as scheduled to attract other offshore wind power industry suppliers to the city.

(By Cheng Chi-fong and Evelyn Kao)
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