2024-01-03

Taiwan tops Asia-Pacific in offshore wind power installed capacity

Taiwan is a front-runner in the Asia-Pacific in installed offshore wind power capacity thanks to the joint effort of the public and private sectors. (MOFA) Taiwan’s installed offshore wind power capacity reached 2.25 gigawatts in 2023, topping democracies in the Asia-Pacific and ranking among the few countries in the world whose capacities have broken the 2 GW threshold, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said Jan. 2. Citing statistics compiled by Brussels-based Global Wind Energy Council, the MOEA said COVID-19 has severely impacted offshore wind power growth around the world since 2019. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war is also putting its development on hold in many European countries such as Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K., it added. Despite these factors, Taiwan has continued to expand offshore wind farms as planned thanks to the collective effort of government agencies and private sector partners, the ministry said, adding that the result is on target with the goal of between 2.03 GW and 2.43 GW in stored capacity by 2023. The MOEA said the achievement is particularly impressive given the fact that there are only six or seven months per year when construction work is possible due to weather constraints like the several typhoons that either made landfall in or passed nearby Taiwan in 2023. According to the ministry, offshore wind power development is a top priority of the government’s green energy transition policy, which aims to set up between 314 and 374 wind turbines with an accumulated installed capacity of 2.56 GW to 3.04 GW by year-end. (SFC-E)

2023-12-04

Green Energy Becomes an International Source of Competitiveness Taipower Guarantees Stable Power Supply

In response to the international trend of net zero emissions, Taiwan government has officially published the "Taiwan's Pathway to Net-Zero Emission in 2050", which provides the action pathway to achieve 2050 Net-Zero Emissions. Additionally, the upcoming "carbon border tax" will accelerate corporations' demand for green energy. Therefore, the energy transition is not just about achieving the goal of "non-nuclear homeland", but a necessary means of sustaining competitiveness. The Ministry of Economic Affairs explained that as the proportion of green energy increases, Taipower has also gradually changed its dispatch model. In the past, the electric daily peak loads were high, and pumped-storage units also had to release water to generate electricity during the daytime, even generating electricity from noon to the afternoon or evening. However, after the addition of green energy, which is important for providing the daily peak power supply, the pumped-storage units were adjusted to a mode of pumping water for energy storage during the daytime and releasing water for power generation at night, so to meet the demand of the three-hour night peak loads from 6 to 9 p.m. Taipower will continue to adjust its dispatching strategy through flexible use of pumped storage capacity, time-of-use pricing, ancillary services, in conjunction with the refinement of dispatching strategies on traditional power units to guarantee stable power supply. Green energy development is a global trend. Many major international manufacturers and brands have responded to RE100's commitment, and green energy has become a rigid demand of the industry. The Ministry of Economic Affairs pointed out that wind and solar power are mature green energy sources. Taiwan has ideal wind farm conditions and is a suitable place for development of offshore wind power, and compound land utilization is prioritized for promotion of solar power to improve land use efficiency and meet corportations' green energy needs. Regarding the photos of the abandoned solar power site published in media, the Ministry of Economic Affairs pointed out that related license of the responsible business has been revoked and the site has been restored to its original state. Energy transition is an important policy to elevate national competitiveness, and in order to enhance Taiwan's international advantages, the Energy Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs continually works closely with local governments through joint review mechanism and task forces to promote solar installation. Spokesperson for Energy Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs Deputy Director General, Chun-Li Lee Phone Number: 02-2775-7700, 0936-250-838 Email: chunlee@moeaea.gov.tw Business Contact: Director, Wen-Hsin Lin Phone Number: 02-2775-7716, 0912-578-534 Email: whlin@moeaea.gov.tw

2023-11-23

Net Zero Trends in Development of Offshore Wind Power Vessels

Introduction The active promotion of net-zero by 2050 targets worldwide has driven green transformations in energy, lifestyles, industries, and societies. Nations, industries, and leading enterprises around the world have proposed roadmaps and strategies for achieving net zero goals. Starting from this year (2023), the new emissions regulations implemented by International Maritime Organization (IMO) requires vessels to reduce carbon by 2% annually between 2023-2026. Additionally, by 2030, carbon emissions for all existing and newly constructed vessels must be reduced by 40%, compared with the baseline emissions of 2008. The goal is a 70% decrease by 2050. Per the new regulations, shipping companies can take the following actions: “develop new types of vessels,” “decrease energy consumption,” or “furnish offshore charging devices” to accelerate the development of emerging power systems in the vessel market. Details of the relevant measures are as follows. I.    Rise of Emerging Power Systems in Vessel Market (I)  Development of New Vessel Types Since 2020, Ørsted, a leader in global offshore wind energy, has implemented a supply chain decarbonization program with the goal of utilizing 100% renewable energy in the manufacturing of products and services by 2025. In 2022, they signed a partnership agreement with a Danish offshore wind energy service provider, ESVAGT, to invest in the construction of the world’s first green fuel (a combination of wind energy and regenerated methanol) service operation vessel (SOV). It is expected to begin operation at the end of 2024 and lower CO2 emissions by approximately 4,500 metric tons annually. To achieve the company’s 2030 carbon neutrality goals, Vestas, a supplier of wind turbine systems, initiated a pilot program with their long-term supplier, Windcat Workboats, to develop the world’s first hydrogen-powered crew transfer vessel (CTV). The CTV is expected to lower CO2 emissions by 158 metric tons or approximately 37% as opposed to traditional vessels. In the future, commercialization of green hydrogen will gradually replace gray hydrogen fuel, further reducing carbon emissions. Samsung Heavy Industries, a Korean shipbuilding company, developed the Eco-Wind Turbine Installation Vessel (Eco-WTIV). The vessel utilizes engines powered by liquified natural gas (LNG) in combination with fuel cells and an energy storage system in place of diesel engines. The system lowers CO2 emissions by up to 50% and reduces the operation costs of vessels. The design has been certified by the three major global ship classification societies, namely American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Det Norske Veritas (DNV), and Lloyd’s Register of Shipping (LR). (II) Decreasing Energy Consumption In 2020, Ørsted provided two hybrid CTVs to Hornsea Two for future use in the operation stages of the offshore wind farm. Both CTVs are equipped with Danfoss Editron hybrid propulsion systems that can operate under full electric or hybrid propulsion modes, and in turn lower CO2 emissions by approximately 140 metric tons. It is anticipated to drive the development of hybrid propulsion CTVs and other large hybrid propulsion vessels. Marco Polo Marine and Seatech Solutions International jointly developed two hybrid vessels, including a service operation vessel (SOV) and commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) for the offshore wind industry. Compared with other hybrid vessels, the hybrid battery of energy storage systems in both vessels can reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by a maximum of 15% to 20%. Meanwhile, Cadeler A/S, a Danish supplier in the maritime industry, has installed hybrid systems in F-class jack-up vessels. These vessels are capable of satisfying massive installation requirements of wind turbines through a deck space of 5,600 square meters and bearing capacity of over 17,600 metric tons. The combination of their massive transport capacity and hybrid propulsion system is expected to lower carbon emissions by 20%. To encourage decarbonization in the marine shipping industry, the UK Government organized the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, of which Artemis Technologies, ORE Catapult, and Lloyd’s Register of Shipping jointly proposed the eFoiler CTV to verify the future demand and economic feasibility of pure electric CTV technology in the shipping industry. II.   Development of Offshore Charging Devices The world’s first offshore charging stations for electric vessels were installed at UK’s Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farms in 2022. Development of the offshore charging station system for electric vessels was initiated in a project by MJR Power & Automation, with members including ORECatapult, Xceco, Artemis Technologies, and Tidal Transit. The project designed, constructed, and tested the charging devices installed in wind turbines to ensure that power could be provided to CTVs, SOVs, PSVs (platform supply vessels). Also, Maersk Supply Service established Stillstrom, a marine charging service company, and launched the world’s first offshore vessel charging station for ships of all sizes with Ørsted in the third quarter of last year. The buoys serve as safety moors and charging stations for vessels and currently support the charging of SOV-sized batteries or hybrid propulsion vessels. The service is expected to expand and will be made available for larger vessels. UK companies such as Oasis Marine Power, Turbo Power Systems, and Velrume have also developed smart energy storage systems (Halo) and charging infrastructure (Oasis Power Buoy) for CTVs. The buoys are powered by wind turbines and act as moor points and charging stations. III. Conclusion Decarbonization ideas are gradually being adopted in global offshore wind power vessels. The most common methods of decarbonization target the power supply, which includes the use of green fuel, hybrid propulsion, or full electric systems. Wind farm developers, wind turbine systems suppliers, marine engineering service suppliers, shipbuilding companies, and government agencies have all invested budget and manpower in development and strategies, thereby driving development of surrounding infrastructure. The implementation of IMO’s new regulations on reducing the CO2 emissions of vessels further accelerates the decarbonization trends of offshore wind power vessels. An observation of low-carbon vessels currently available on the market shows that aside from designing propulsion systems with reduced carbon, the majority opts to utilize fuel-efficient generators, optimize engines, or convert the propulsion modules, as these are the most cost-effective methods to achieve decarbonization. It is recommended that Taiwan’s shipbuilding companies accelerate deployment of low carbon products in response to the global net-zero trend. These efforts should begin with the conversion of vessel propulsion systems before gradually integrating efforts on the design level to achieve the goal of building new vessels with reduced carbon. However, special attention should be given to the compatibility level of assembly during the process of procuring/manufacturing parts for vessel modification (such as fuel-efficient generators, engines, or battery modules). Low-carbon materials and manufacturing processes with reduced CO2 emissions should also be considered when selecting materials for hulls so as to simultaneously lower the overall CO2 emissions of vessels. This will help Taiwanese companies be more competitive in the future to meet market demands.

2023-11-01

ITRI's Innovative Energy Solution - SENSE

ITRI's SENSE (Smart Energy for a Sustainable Ecosystem) won the 2023 R&D 100 Award in the Software/Services category. This pioneering technology is the industry's first sustainable circular energy solution, allowing energy units to be utilized throughout their entire life cycle. Starting with initial use in electric vehicles to essential role in energy replenishment systems, and finally serving in energy storage systems, the SENSE optimizes each phase by accommodating a variety of battery types, whether new or old. The adaptability extends the system's lifespan by 3 to 5 times. Additionally, this solution treats power sources from diverse inputs like wind, solar, or batteries as individual differently-sized power units (SDPUs). By using software-defined energy approach, these units can be flexibly and quickly aggregated (SDPA) to produce required large-scale AC or DC power supply system. It results in a 35% reduction in energy transfer loss and a 30% cost reduction in construction. Moreover, energy units can be quickly separated and reconfigured according to multi-party electricity usage and demand, achieving the best economic benefits of sharing.

2019-06-26

Offshore Wind: Driving New Opportunities for Local Industries

After 76 consultation meetings with industry members, IDB has set targets and a developmental framework for Taiwan’s offshore wind industry. Its programs have attracted businesses including Chin Fong/CS Wind (Tower), Yeong Guan Energy Technology (Hub casting), Tien Li Offshore Wind Technology (Blade), and Tai-Shing-Century (Transition piece) to set up factories in the Industrial Zone (II) at Taichung Port. Along with Century Wind Power’s production at Taipei Port and Sing Da Marine Structure’s (SDMS) facility at Sing Da Harbor in Kaohsiung, offshore wind investment is estimated to reach eight billion New Taiwan Dollars this year (2019). On January 18th, 2018, IDB promulgated Offshore Wind Power Industry Policy, as well as Project Framework for Offshore Wind Power Industrial Relevance Implementation Program, announcing items critical for Taiwan’s offshore wind development (turbine production, foundation and marine engineering vessel production), and a development timeline consisting of a preparation phase, the 1st and 2nd phase. Developers are required to submit industrial relevance implementation programs and supporting materials, which will be reviewed by IDB before an opinion letter is issued. The process aims to enhance collaboration between international and local suppliers, and assist suppliers in building relevant supply chains. Tower and foundation of offshore wind turbines are key items for the preparation phase. Under IDB’s assistance, the Metal Industries Research & Development Centre and ENCONAcademy have facilitated collaboration between DVS/SLV and Taiwan Welding Society for a joint welding certification program. Eleven representatives from businesses including SDMS, Tai-Shing Engineering and Construction, and WANCHI Steel have successfully obtained certification, and an award ceremony was held on June 13th, 2019. Committed to promoting collaboration between offshore wind developers and local suppliers, MOEA will continue to encourage local key industry players to lead efforts and connect local SMEs, in order to facilitate technical upgrades for local businesses and work together to gain a foothold in the global supply chain system. Contacts Contact Organization: Metal and Mechanical Industrial Division, Industrial Development Bureau, Ministry of Economic Affairs Contact Person: Mr. Chen Contact Phone: (02)2754-1255 ext.2141