The Diplomat
Iberdrola continues its expansion in Asia-Pacific with the opening of a new growth platform in Taiwan, where it will develop a portfolio of 6,000 MW of offshore wind projects, distributed in three projects on the west coast of the country, the company announced yesterday.
With this new commitment, Iberdrola reinforces its strategy of geographic diversification of its offshore wind project portfolio, as well as its positioning in markets with strong potential. The portfolio of projects allows it to design a long-term and stable strategy in this market, which will start with its participation in the next offshore wind energy auction, with which it will contribute to the energy transition and to the local economy and employment.
The projects to be developed by Iberdrola in Taiwan are called Da-Chung Bu Offshore Wind, Guo-Feng Offshore Wind and Ju-Dao Offshore Wind and will be located in the waters of Taichung, Changhua and Penghu counties. The depths on this west coast of the country are suitable for both floating and fixed foundation offshore wind technology.
David Rowland, Iberdrola’s global director of offshore wind development, said that Taiwan’s ambition to achieve significant growth in offshore wind energy led the company to analyse the market for several years and, over the past year, it has been actively working on project development.
Today,” Rowland said, “there are many countries around the world firmly committed to the potential of offshore wind energy and deciding to build projects quickly and on a large scale. All of these initiatives are the best way to combat the climate crisis and boost the economy.
“With the studies we have completed and the knowledge we have gained about the supply chain capabilities in Taiwan, we are excited about the potential of our projects in the country,” said the Iberdrola official.
Taiwan has a target of installing 9 GW of offshore wind power by 2031 and 15 GW by 2035, and the government is working on finalising the next package of measures to support this. Iberdrola’s three projects are ready to go to the next rounds of auctions.
The potential of floating offshore wind offers opportunities for continued growth beyond the planned fixed foundation offshore wind projects. In this regard, Iberdrola plans to evaluate both fixed and floating alternatives within the country.
With the entry into Taiwan, Iberdrola reinforces its strategy of diversification and global leadership in the offshore wind sector and consolidates its position as the world’s largest renewable energy company.
Offshore wind energy has also become a driver of future growth for the group: it currently operates more than 1,300 MW of installed capacity (Wikinger, East Anglia ONE and West of Duddon Sands) and has 2,600 MW under construction, with which it will triple its current capacity. Its portfolio of offshore wind projects exceeds 20,000 MW in traditional markets, such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, France and in new platforms, such as Taiwan, Ireland, Japan, Sweden and Poland.
