The government, in line with its green-energy policy, plans to build 1,000 wind turbines off the nation's west coast in the near future, an official said yesterday.
"Developing clean and renewable energy is our policy. We plan to build 1,000 more wind turbines in the near future. They will be built in the sea where the wind is stronger," said Tang Feng, director of the Economics ministry's industrial cooperation program office.
"Out of the 1,000 turbines, 200 will be built by the government and the rest will be built by the private sector," he said.
Taiwan, a late starter in utilizing renewable energy, already has five wind farms built by Vestas of Denmark, GE Wind of the US, Enercon of Germany and Gamesa of Spain.
The country will soon have its sixth wind farm as the state-run Taiwan Power Co (
Vestas, GE Wind, Enercon and Gamesa have expressed interest in the US$52 million contract. The winning bid will be announced tomorrow.
For the first time, the Economics ministry has required the winner of the contract to provide industrial cooperation equivalent to 33 percent of the amount of the contract by way of local purchase, technology transfer, personnel training or research and development.
"Vestas' Taiwan agent Huang Hung-chi said that foreign companies are willing to help Taiwan develop its wind-energy industry.
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