Further progress on Taiwan offshore wind projects

The projects were allocated in the first auction of the Round 3 Zonal Development Phase by the energy authorities of Taiwan (BOE) in December. They include the 440 megawatts (MW) Huanyang offshore wind farm, to be developed by local company Taiya Renewable Energy and French utility EDF Renewables; the 500MW Formosa 3 wind farm by Green Investment Group-owned Corio Generation and Total Energies; and the 300MW Hai Hsia project by Lealea Group and Global Infrastructure Partners’ Skyborn Renewables.

Now that they have entered into administrative contracts, the developers will then be able to prepare for signing agreements relating to power offtake, project financing and subsequent construction, according to local news reports. The MEA plans to release draft rules for the second Round 3 Zonal Development Phase auction in a month or so.

The BOE announced in December that 10 offshore wind projects had been allocated to developers in the first Round 3 Zonal Development Phase auction. The list then was narrowed down to seven projects.

The BOE has also announced that it is aiming to launch a further offshore wind tender process by April 2024, with the total capacity on offer expected to be up to 3.6GW, according to a report. 

Energy expert William Stroll of Pinsent Masons MPillay, the Singapore joint law venture between MPillay and Pinsent Masons, said: “Taiwan’s programme of offshore wind capacity allocation auctions continues apace. It will be interesting to see what steps, if any, the BOE takes ahead of the next auction in 2024 to address the perceived viability issues that led to two developers withdrawing from the projects awarded to them in the first auction of the Round 3 Zonal Development Phase.”