Offshore wind energy developers yesterday supported the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ renewable energy policy, but once again criticized a proposed 12.71 percent cut in the preliminary feed-in tariff (FIT) and other changes they had rejected.
The ministry’s renewable energy strategy was not implemented in haste as the Control Yuan has claimed and is adequate when compared with precedents set abroad, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Northland Power Inc, Orsted A/S, Wpd Group, Yushan Energy Co (玉山能源) and Formosa II (海能風電) said in a joint statement.
Minister of Economic Affairs Shen Jong-chin (沈榮津) had requested that the firms provide supporting evidence to justify their rejection of proposed changes.
The companies said the ministry’s assessment does not take into consideratoin the burden of fulfilling the government’s local content requirements.
Producing 1 kilowatt of offshore wind power costs NT$188,000 to NT$210,000, which exceeds the government’s estimate by 25 to 35 percent, the companies said.
A period of stable FIT is needed while the nation builds up its first 3.8 gigawatts of offshore wind power capacity, they added.
The companies made the statement after the Control Yuan earlier this month issued corrective measures to the ministry’s strategy.
The strategy had been instrumental in attracting investments from foreign offshore wind energy developers, creating an opportunity for Taiwan to cultivate a renewable energy industry, reduce air pollution and achieve energy self-sufficiency, the companies said.
However, the decision to reduce the FIT from NT$5.8498 per kilowatt-hour to NT$5.106 starting next year represents a backward step in the nation’s progress on renewable energy, they added.
The government’s decision to cap wind power generation at 3,600 operating hours per year and cancel the tiered FIT scheme would greatly impact the viability of ongoing projects, the companies said.
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