Floating wind developer BlueFloat Energy has confirmed that it is targeting the offshore wind market in Taiwan Area with a 1-GW project it is bidding into the Round 3 auctions
The project, ‘Winds of September,’ is approximately 25 km off the coast of Hsinchu /Hsinchu City in water depths ranging from 70 m to 80 m.
Taiwan’s third round of offshore wind development is due to start shortly and will enable the country to acquire another 15 GW of offshore wind capacity. The first auction to take place under Round 3, Phase 1, is for up to 3 GW of capacity and was due to take place in June 2022. Construction of projects securing awards in this round should get underway in 2025.
In the initial auctions in Round 3, most developers were expected to target opportunities for fixed-bottom offshore wind close to areas where development is already taking place.
Analysts interviewed by OWJ in April 2022 were cautious about the prospects for floating wind in the country in the near-term. They did not expect floating wind projects to be bid into early Round 3 auctions although they said bids in subsequent auctions in the middle part of the decade might well occur.
BlueFloat Energy country manager Taiwan Michael Pinkerton said, “I believe that we can work with Taiwan and its push toward net-zero. We will work with local partners, suppliers and stakeholders to deliver our project and create jobs in the industry.”
BlueFloat Energy said the Winds of September Project “shows the strong commitment of BlueFloat Energy to actively invest in the development of offshore wind in Taiwan.” It said the project “is a new milestone in the development of floating wind technology around the world.”
