Offshore wind energy has been regarded as part of the ocean economy, with the fastest growing contribution in the gross value added (GVA) of the global ocean economy. Its development has also been a primary focus for the government in recent years. One of the current plans is to establish the Marine Technology Innovation Center at Kaohsiung’s Xingda Harbor. On May 31, 2019,Ms. Chu Chen, Secretary-General to the President, officiated the groundbreaking ceremony for three centers at the center. Mr. Chi-Mai Chen,Vice Premier of Executive Yuan,Dr. Chuan-Neng Lin, Vice Minister of Economic Affairs,Dr. Kuang-Shih Yeh,Deputy Mayor of Kaohsiung City, and other distinguished guests attended the ceremony together to witness a milestone in the development of offshore wind energy.
Dr. Lin, Vice Minister stated that according to the plan of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the development of offshore wind farms is divided into three stages: demonstration,zones of potential, and zonal development. The first two stages have been initiated to generate wind power. The third stage,which focuses on zonal development, is ongoing,with the goal to scale up the zonal development capacity by1GW each year from 2026 to 2030, totaling 5GWin five years. The expectation is for domestic manufacturers and developers to cooperate and share opportunities in the wind energy market in the Asia-Pacific region. Thezone establishment project will serve as a stimulus to the green energy industry, and the planning of the three centers target diamond-rated green buildings and diamond-rated smart buildings. After the project is completed next year, the training zone will become a landmark of Xingda Harbor while increasing local employment in both the manufacturing and leisure industries and facilitating economic development.
According to Dr. Chiu-Feng Lin, President of MIRDC, these centers have been at the preliminary stage for a while. After multiple attempts to negotiate with different organizations and integrate efforts in implementation, and with guidance from officials at different levels and efforts of different parties, the project will commence with theMarine Technology Engineering Training and AccreditationCenter, the Innovation R&D Center of Marine Technology Industry, and the Marine Innovation R&D and Certification Center of Marine Technology Engineeringas the primary focus. The site covers a total area of about 6.72 hectares. Connectionto the leadingof Maersk Training and MARIN among othershas been established to introduce benchmark or successful methods from other countries and meet the requirements of the Training and Accreditation Center for international accreditation and deep pool designs. After operating,the Training and Accreditation Center will deliver Basic Safety Training/Basic Technical Training (BST/BTT)courses, Advanced Rescue Training/Enhanced First Aid (ART/EFA) courses, and other customized courses. It is expected that at least 500 people will receive the said training every year at the initial stage and that the Marine Technology Innovation Centerwill help establish Taiwan as a pioneer in the offshore wind supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region.
After the completion of the Centerwill provide local manpower for the offshore wind and marine technology industries and attract young people to return to their hometown to work with at least 360 job opportunities expected to be created and ten enterprises to set up offices in the Center. Moreover, the Center may revive the economy around Xingda Harbor. As its operation gradually becomes stable, the Center will be developed into a special zone that combines the features of the area surrounding the harbor, develops industrial technologies, and generates benefits through leisure and tourism. An estimate shows that more than ten thousand visitors will be attracted to Xingda Harbor to take part in a variety of activities on an annual basis, thus stimulating overall economic growth and achieving an output of $9.6 billion. The ultimate goal is to transform and upgrade the fishing harbor into an important base for offshore wind energy in the Asia-Pacific region.