NEW YEAR DEADLINE: A Taipower spokesman said developers have until Wednesday to secure deals at a more lucrative rate, but need to get permits from the authorities

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 31, 2018
By: Kao Shih-ching  /  Staff reporter

Changhua County Commissioner Wang Hui-mei’s (王惠美) victory in last month’s

An artist’s impression shows a wind farm off the coast of Changhua County.
Photo: CNA, provided by Changhua County Government

nine-in-one elections brought a change in local governance that has raised concern over possible increased political risk for offshore wind farm investment, although wind power developers can still secure power purchase agreements with a more favorable feed-in tariff of NT$5.8498 per kilowatt-hour if they receive permits from the local government and the Bureau of Energy, and submit the documents to Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) by Wednesday.

Six offshore wind projects among four developers were on Dec. 21 approved by the Ministry of the Interior. The developers — Orsted A/S, Hai Long Offshore Wind (海龍), a joint venture by Northland Power Inc and Yushan Energy Co (玉山能源), Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and China Steel Corp (中鋼) — still need to gain approval from the local government and the bureau to qualify for the higher tariff, but as of Friday — before the New Year’s Day long weekend — they had not received them.    [FULL STORY]