Two local manufacturers of wind power components get boost

Taipei, Oct. 3 (CNA) Siemens Gamesa, a Spanish company that provides renewable energy solutions worldwide, on Wednesday signed two separate deals with Taiwanese companies to procure components for a wind power project in Taiwan.

Under the first deal, Swancor Renewable Energy Co. agreed to supply resin to Siemens Gamesa, one of three foreign companies among the seven contracted by the Taiwan government to build 10 offshore wind power farms.

The agreement was signed at a press conference by Andreas Nauen, CEO of the Offshore Business Unit of Siemens Gamesa, and Robert Tsai (蔡朝陽), chairman of Swancor Renewable Energy.

At the signing, Nauen said he hoped the deal would help make Taiwan a bigger player in the supply chain of the global offshore wind power industry and boost its chances of becoming a hub of the industry in the Asia-Pacific region.

In turn, Tsai expressed delight at his company's new role as a supplier to Siemens Gamesa and vowed to continue to seek other opportunities for global cooperation.

On the same occasion, Siemens Gamesa also signed an agreement with Chin Fong Machine Industrial Co., Ltd., which will build turbines for the offshore wind farm project.

Taiwan will need some 200 wind turbine towers over the next seven years, Nauen said, adding that Siemens Gamesa is looking forward to passing on its technology and experience in that field to Chin Fong.

Chin Fong Chairman Chang Yu-cheng (張於正) said South Korea-based CS Wind has invested in his company, which has helped build Chin Fong's capacity and allowed it to branch out into the renewable energy industry.

Under Taiwan's wind farm project, it is aiming to increase its installed wind power capacity to 5.5GW by 2025. To achieve that goal, the government has contracted several companies to manufacture the key components of the wind farm.

At a separate event on Wednesday, Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) said he was confident that Taiwan could reach the 5.5GW target by 2025, which he said will attract investment of NT$1 trillion (US$32.61 billion), create 20,000 job opportunities, and spur a production value of NT$120 billion in related manufacturing.

Speaking at a conference of the local manufacturing alliance of offshore wind power components, Chen said Taiwan's wind farms are recognized worldwide.

He also expressed the hope that the offshore wind energy industry will become a key segment of Taiwan's commerce through the efforts of all the relevant sectors.

The offshore wind farm project is part of a "five plus two" innovative industry plan put forth by President Tsai Ing-wen's (蔡英文) administration with the goal of transforming Taiwan's economic model from contract manufacturing to high-value-added business focused on services and solutions.

The areas identified by Tsai's administration for development under the plan are intelligent machinery, an Asia Silicon Valley, green energy, biomedicine, national defense and aerospace, new agriculture and a circular economy.