To help develop Taiwan's offshore wind farm operations and maintenance (O&M) technologies, and promote cooperation between local O&M companies, wind farm developers, and wind turbine system companies, the Metal Industries Research & Development Centre (MIRDC), under the guidance of the Bureau of Energy, MOEA, held the Offshore Wind Farm O&M Experts Forum at the GIS MOTC Convention Center in Taipei on March 24, 2021. MIRDC invited Taiwan's offshore wind energy experts to the forum to discuss how to build a cooperation system for technology innovation and the O&M supply chain for Taiwan's offshore wind farm industry, strategies to bridge the supply and demand gaps in offshore wind farm O&M projects in Taiwan, and integrate industry, academia, and research capabilities to strengthen the integrity of the O&M supply chain to gradually implement the goal for local offshore wind farm O&M capabilities.

A total of nine domestic and foreign companies in the industry were invited to the forum, namely Ørsted, Hai Long Offshore Wind, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Peak Wind, Swancor Renewable Energy, Star Energy, DWTEK, Data Surpass Technology, and ADAT Technology. Christopher Rowland, O&M Project Manager of Ørsted, kicked off the forum by sharing practical experience in the construction of the offshore wind farm O&M supply chain in Europe. He explained the experience in building the cooperation system between the wind farm developers and O&M contractors, and supplier evaluation items, which served as a basis for the discussions. Then, industry representatives suggested focusing on a local cooperation mechanism for the cooperation and communication practices of the local O&M industry to improve Taiwan's technical capabilities and performance, and drive high-paying employment opportunities.

Dr. Wei-Der Chen, Deputy Director of MIRDC, said that MIRDC is committed to promoting the development of the offshore wind energy O&M industry. In addition to promoting industry cooperation, MIRDC is also invested in technology for drone inspections, seabed detection, anti-corrosion inspection and repair of structural components, undersea cable maintenance, and smart glasses, helping the industry build capabilities for local O&M. The commercialization of Taipower's phase I wind farm, Formosa 2 wind farm, and OWF Yunlin is expected to begin this year. The related O&M work will kick off successively that will increase the business opportunities in the industry one after another each year. The creation of an O&M supply chain cooperation mechanism and the development of innovative technologies will establish a long-term local service foundation in the future, thereby strengthening Taiwan's offshore wind O&M industry.