Wind power is a major industry in Taiwan. Taiwan has abundant wind resources however a lack of space on land means that most major developments are offshore.
Wind power is a major industry in Taiwan. Taiwan has abundant wind resources however a lack of space on land means that most major developments are offshore.
Taiwan has abundant wind power resources. [1] [2] [3] In 2013, Taiwan's onshore wind farm capacity factor is 28-29%, while its future offshore wind farm is 33-38%, with the total installed onshore wind capacity of 530 MW. There are currently 55 integrated and automated wind power forecasting systems established in Zhongtun, Kinmen, Mailiao, Changgong and Shihu. [4] [5]
The first phase of wind power installation was done in January 2003 until December 2008 in which 59 wind turbines were put into commercial operations in Shinmen, Tatan Unit 1, Guanyuan, Shianshan, Port of Taichung, Taichung Power Plant and Hengchun with a total installed capacity of 96.96 MW. The second phase was done in January 2005 until September 2011 in which 58 turbines were put into operation in Changgong Unit 1, Yunlin Mailiao, Sihu, Linko and Tatan Wind Power Stations. The third phase was done in January 2007 until July 2011 in which 28 turbines were put into operation in Changgong Unit 2, Yunlin Mailiao Unit 2, Changhua Wanggong and Tatan II Wind Power Stations with a total capacity of 59.6 MW. [6]
The fourth phase of wind power installation is currently under construction with the expected completion schedule by June 2015 in which once completed, it will bring the total capacity of wind power to be 14.8 MW, generating 43.081 GWh per year. The Penghu Island Low-Carbon Island Wind Power Project is scheduled to be completed by the end of June 2016 with a total capacity of 33 MW, generating 116.251 GWh per year. [6]
In 2007, the National Penghu University of Science and Technology in Penghu County started a project commissioned and funded by National Science Council to establish a 5,000 m2 wind park at the campus area for educational and research purposes. It now hosts 47 small, experimental turbines installed by 20 international companies. All of the turbines have their own monitoring system which record the condition and efficacy. Data is then transmitted by Internet for analysis and improvements. [7] The government plan to construct a total of 450 onshore wind turbines and 600 offshore wind turbines by 2030, aiming at a capacity of 4,200 MW, in which 1,200 MW will be for onshore and 3,000 MW will be for offshore. [5] Two 4 MW Siemens Wind Power offshore turbines in the "Formosa 1" project were being installed in 2016-2017, [8] [9] [10] and guidelines for offshore wind developments were finalized. [11]
In 2020 developer Orsted sold a 50% stake in the Greater Changhua 1 Offshore Wind Farm to Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec and Cathay PE for $2.7 billion. [12]
Installed wind power capacity and generation in Taiwan in recent years is shown in the table and the diagram below: [13]
| Year | Capacity (MW) | Generation (GWh) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2678.02 | 6,238.2 |
| 2022 | 1581.05 | 3,577.4 |
| 2021 | 1094.16 | 2,270.7 |
| 2020 | 937.1 | 2,308.8 |
| 2019 | 845.15 | 1,892.2 |
| 2018 | 713.19 | 1,706.8 |
| 2017 | 692.39 | 1,722.5 |
| 2016 | 682.09 | 1,457.1 |
| 2015 | 646.69 | 1,525.2 |
| 2014 | 637.19 | 1,500.4 |
| 2013 | 614.19 | 1,640.0 |
| 2012 | 570.99 | 1,413.4 |
| 2011 | 522.69 | 1,492.7 |
| 2010 | 475.89 | 1,026.3 |
| 2009 | 374.29 | 786.6 |
| 2008 | 250.39 | 588.2 |
| 2007 | 185.99 | 439.5 |
| 2006 | 101.99 | 276.1 |
| 2005 | 23.94 | 91.3 |
| 2004 | 8.54 | 25.3 |
| 2003 | 8.54 | 23.8 |
| 2002 | 8.54 | 15.9 |
| 2001 | 5.04 | 12.2 |
| 2000 | 2.64 | 1.4 |
Diagram with installed wind power capacity and generation in Taiwan in recent years:
 | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
The first offshore wind farms in Taiwan, Formosa 1 Offshore Wind Farm, started its commercial operation in April 2017 at off the coast of Miaoli County. The development project is led by Swancor Renewable. The firsts stage of the construction involved two 4 MW wind turbines which were installed in November 2016 with a total generation capacity of 8 MW. The second stage of the construction was on-grid in December 2019 which involved 20 Siemens Gamesa's SWT-6.0-154 turbines with a total capacity of 120 MW. [14] The Yunlin project yielded first power in late 2021. [15]
The Formosa II wind farm was also constructed offshore Miaoli County, with a capacity of 376MW. It was completed and inaugurated on May 16, 2023. Formosa III wind farm will be constructed offshore Changhua County with a planned capacity of 1,900 MW. It is also expected to pass the EPA and obtain its license in 2017. [16] In 2020 TSMC signed a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) from 2026 for 920 MW. [17] [18]
At the end of 2022, the Ministry of Economic Affairs approved 7 projects, [19] of which 3 were zero-subsidy with corporate PPAs. [20] The 298 MW Zhong Neng offshore wind farm started construction in 2023, [21] and the 1 GW Hai Long started construction in 2024. [22]
A wind farm or wind park, also called a wind power station or wind power plant, is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundred wind turbines covering an extensive area. Wind farms can be either onshore or offshore.
Ørsted A/S is a Danish multinational energy company. Headquartered in Fredericia, Denmark, Ørsted is the largest energy company in Denmark. The company adopted its current name on 6 November 2017. It was previously known as DONG.
The United Kingdom is the best location for wind power in Europe and one of the best in the world. The combination of long coastline, shallow water and strong winds make offshore wind unusually effective.
Arklow Bank Wind Park is a 25 megawatt offshore wind farm generating electrical power for the Wicklow region in Ireland. It is the first offshore wind farm in Ireland, and the world's first erection of wind turbines rated over 3 MW. It is located on the Arklow Bank, a shallow water sandbank in the Irish Sea, around 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) off the coast of Arklow with an area of 27 by 2.5 kilometres.
In 2021 France reached a total of 18,676 megawatts (MW) installed wind power capacity placing France at that time as the world's seventh largest wind power nation by installed capacity, behind the United Kingdom and Brazil and ahead of Canada and Italy. According to the IEA the yearly wind production was 20.2 TWh in 2015, representing almost 23% of the 88.4 TWh from renewable sources in France during that year. Wind provided 4.3% of the country's electricity demand in 2015.
Offshore wind power or offshore wind energy is the generation of electricity through wind farms in bodies of water, usually at sea. There are higher wind speeds offshore than on land, so offshore farms generate more electricity per amount of capacity installed. Offshore wind farms are also less controversial than those on land, as they have less impact on people and the landscape.
As of May 2024, wind power in the Netherlands has an installed capacity of 11,611 MW, 40.9% of which is based offshore. In 2022, the wind turbines provided the country with 18.37% of its electricity demand during the year. Windmills have historically played a major part in the Netherlands by providing an alternative to water driven mills.
In Japan's electricity sector, wind power generates a small proportion of the country's electricity. It has been estimated that Japan has the potential for 144 gigawatts (GW) for onshore wind and 608 GW of offshore wind capacity. As of 2023, the country had a total installed capacity of 5.2 GW.
Walney Wind Farms are a group of offshore wind farms 9 miles (14 km) west of Walney Island off the coast of Cumbria, England, in the Irish Sea. The group, operated by Ørsted, consists of Walney Phase 1, Phase 2 and the Walney Extension. The extension has a capacity of 659 MW and it was the world's second largest offshore wind farm in 2018.
Wind power in the Philippines accounts for a total of 443MW as of 2020 according to the Department of Energy, covering about 1.6% of the country's total installed capacity for both renewable and non-renewable energy sources. When it comes to existing renewable energy sources in the country, wind power has a total share of approximately 5.4%. Despite currently being a small contributor to the country's energy mix, wind power installations have increased from 33MW in 2012-2013 to 337MW in 2014, 427MW in 2015-2018, and 443MW in 2019-2021. Moreover, the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Plan (NREP) 2020-2040 aims to commission 2,345MW of total wind power capacity by 2030. There has been a setback, however, as the wind power industry was moderately affected by COVID, particularly in the import of wind turbines. Due to this, several projects such as the Aklan onshore wind project got delayed. To further drive the wind energy sector in the country, an increased demand for renewable energy, greater government commitments, and reduced wind power tariff are needed.
Renewable energy in Taiwan contributed to 8.7% of national electricity generation as of end of 2013. The total installed capacity of renewable energy in Taiwan by the end of 2013 was 3.76 GW.
The East Anglia Array is a proposed series of offshore wind farms located around 30 miles off the east coast of East Anglia, in the North Sea, England. It has begun with the currently operational East Anglia ONE, that has been developed in partnership by ScottishPower Renewables and Vattenfall. Up to six individual projects could be set up in the area with a maximum capacity of up to 7.2 GW. The first project, East Anglia ONE at 714 MW, received planning consent in June 2014 and contracts in April 2016. Offshore construction began in 2018 and the project was commissioned in July 2020. It is expected to cost £2.5 billion.
Hornsea Wind Farm is a Round 3 wind farm which began construction in 2018. Sited in the North Sea 120 km (75 mi) off the east coast of England, the eventual wind farm group is planned to have a total capacity of up to 6 gigawatt (GW).
The Formosa 1 Offshore Wind Farm is a 128 MW offshore wind power station in Miaoli County, Taiwan. It is Taiwan's first offshore wind farm.
Ocean Wind was a proposed utility-scale 2,248 MW offshore wind farm to be located on the Outer Continental Shelf approximately 15 miles (24 km) off the coast of Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was being developed by Ørsted US Offshore Wind in conjunction with Public Service Enterprise Group (PSE&G). Construction and commissioning were planned for the mid-2020s. The closed Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station and B.L. England Generating Station would provide transmission points for energy generated by the wind farm.
The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) is an offshore wind energy project located about 43 km (27 mi) off the coast of Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S. The initial phase, a two-turbine, 12-MW pilot project constructed in 2020, is the second utility scale offshore wind farm operating in the United States. Dominion Energy and Ørsted US Offshore Wind collaborated on the project, which is estimated to have cost $300 million and is expected to generate enough electricity to power up to 3,000 homes. It is the first utility scale wind farm serving Virginia and the first built in U.S. federal waters, in a wind lease area that covers about 2,135 acres.
The Greater Changhua Offshore Wind Farms are a series of offshore wind farms currently under construction off the coast of Changhua County, Taiwan.
The Formosa 2 Offshore Wind Farm is a 376 MW offshore wind power station located near Miaoli County, Taiwan.
