Insideview
Webinar with the BOE
The ECCT’s Wind Energy committee hosted a webinar featuring Lee Chun-li, Deputy Director-General of the Bureau of Energy (BOE), under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA). Read the full Event Report.
In the webinar, Deputy DG Lee gave a presentation on Taiwan’s long-term power supply planning and discussed issues facing wind energy developers, especially related to emergency Covid-19 measures that are affecting the construction of offshore wind farms under current Level 3 Covid-19 alert restrictions.
Owing to current restrictions, wind energy vessel crew members who do not have Alien Resident Certificates (ARCs) or visas are not allowed to leave vessels while foreign nationals without ARCs are not permitted to enter Taiwan, effective from 19 May until 18 June. It is hoped that the ban will be lifted after 18 June, but this depends on the Covid-19 situation.
Regarding vaccines, wind energy developers have requested that their workers be put on the vaccine priority list. Lee said that the BOE will pass the message on to the CECC. As for those arriving from abroad who have already been vaccinated, it would be logical for them to be subject to a simpler process and quarantine requirements. Lee acknowledged that it makes sense for Taiwan to follow the international trend in this regard and will communicate accordingly with the CECC.
Lee went on to give an update on Taiwan’s long term power supply planning. This included projections of Taiwan’s future power demands for the next seven years based on economic growth needs. He noted that GDP growth and factors, such as rising investments locally by Taiwanese investors to increase supply chain diversification, would lead to an increase in power demand over the next few years. According to figures cited by Lee, peak load demand was just over 37 gigawatts (GW) in 2019 and is expected to rise by around 2.3% per annum to reach over 44GW by 2027. He also showed a roadmap and breakdown of Taiwan’s current and projected power plant capacity, including which old plants will be decommissioned and details of new plants that would be commissioned.
