RWE expands wind business to Taiwan
- World’s number 2 in offshore wind power is taking part in Taiwan’s largest energy trade fair
- RWE and Asia Cement Corporation prepare 448 MW Chu Feng offshore wind farm for next grid allocation round in Taiwan
RWE is taking part in Taiwan’s largest annual energy trade fair and conference. This underlines RWE’s ambitions to expand its renewables business to Taiwan and the wider Asia-Pacific region. During the “Energy Taiwan 2020” event, taking place this week in Taipei, RWE will be one of the leading exhibitors. In addition speakers and panelists from RWE will share their expertise in the development, construction and operation of large offshore wind farms and give insights on new technologies, such as floating offshore wind.
With over 120 years history of electricity generation, RWE is today one of the world’s leading companies for renewable energies and globally ranked as the second largest operator in offshore wind. Earlier this year, RWE Renewables (operating at that time as innogy Renewables) announced its entry into the Taiwanese offshore wind market through a strategic partnership with Asia Cement Corporation. The partners jointly continue the development of the Chu Feng offshore wind project with a planned installed capacity of up to 448 megawatts (MW). The large scale offshore wind farm will be located off the northwest coast of Taiwan near Hsinchu City, in the wind-rich Taiwan Strait.
Sven Utermöhlen, Chief Operating Officer Wind Offshore Global of RWE Renewables, explains: “The government has plans to considerably increase the role of offshore wind energy in Taiwan’s electricity production. The Chu Feng project enables us to enter this growing market with a strong local partner at our side. Together we intend to participate with this project in the next grid allocation round to lay the foundations for realising this large-scale offshore wind farm, which will contribute towards the country’s renewable energy targets.”
RWE has ambitious plans for further growth in the field of renewable energies
The ground for further growth in offshore wind has already been prepared: In the UK, RWE is currently building Triton Knoll offshore wind farm, which will have an installed capacity of 857 MW (RWE’s pro rata share: 509 MW), and is aiming to make a Final Investment Decision on the Sofia offshore wind farm (1.4 GW, 100% RWE) in early 2021. In Germany, the company is realising its Kaskasi offshore wind farm (342 MW, 100% RWE). RWE’s development pipeline consists of offshore opportunities of around 7 GW – not including central tenders, which the company is also considering. In addition RWE has a strong focus on innovation and is a pioneer in developing and implementing new technologies – such as floating offshore wind. RWE is working together with partners on three floating wind demonstration projects – in Spain, Norway and in the US.
The company already operates onshore and offshore wind farms, photovoltaic plants and battery storage facilities with a combined capacity of approximately 9 GW. By 2022, RWE wants to invest a net 5 billion euros in renewable energy to grow its renewables portfolio to 13 GW of net capacity. Beyond this, the company plans further growth in wind and solar power. The focus for further growth is on the Americas, the core markets in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
“Thanks to the excellent wind conditions, we see great potential for offshore wind in Taiwan. As one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies joining forces with Taiwanese partners is at the core of our business strategy. Partners, whose local expertise complements our global experience and technical know-how, and who share our ambition to drive the growth of offshore wind in Taiwan and the wider Asia-Pacific region, together.”
