Taiwan unveils new offshore wind development roadmap

Offshore wind specialists Yong Neng Chan and Wee Jian Ang of Pinsent Masons were commenting on Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs’ (MOEA) new ambitious plans for the country to increase its offshore wind capacity eightfold by 2039.

The government aims to increase offshore wind capacity to 18.3–19.9 gigawatts (GW) by 2035 and 24.7–27.9GW by 2039. This is a significant increase on Taiwan’s current installed capacity, which last year was estimated to be around 3.4GW.

This new target recognises that the short-term and long-term expansion of Taiwan's offshore wind industry hinges on establishing clear policy pathways, strengthening domestic supply chains, expanding green financing mechanisms, effective mobilisation of private capital, and improving the permitting process for offshore wind development.

Yong Neng said the new plans provide “an important signal that Taiwan’s offshore wind remains central to its long-term energy security and decarbonisation strategy despite recent market challenges.” He added: “Taiwan's latest roadmap is less about announcing new ambitions than demonstrating that the government remains committed to offshore wind despite rising costs, financing challenges and increasing competition for capital globally.”

The latest plans to boost the domestic offshore wind industry come at a critical time as Taiwan seeks to balance ambitious renewable energy targets against rising construction, supply chain and energy import costs, as well as inflation and financing constraints.

In this context, the government is looking at a more flexible approach to offshore wind procurement to help attract foreign investment. The revised plans commit to regular auction rounds with the aim of releasing around 8GW of offshore wind capacity every four years.

This follows the recent launch of the government’s latest offshore wind development programme (Round 3.3) on 1 April 2026, offering up to 3.6GW of capacity with projects expected to connect to the grid between 2030 and 2031. Applications remain open until the end of September 2026 and the government is expected to announce successful bidders by the end of this year.

Wee Jian said it remains to be seen how international developers and package contractors will take to the new roadmap and also the current auction round of offshore wind – round 3.3. “Challenging localisation requirements, rising costs, and construction risks have dampened the enthusiasm of many in the Taiwanese offshore wind industry, and some have led to disagreements and disputes,” he said. “Hopefully, the auctions going forward into 2039 will account for these concerns and adopt a more flexible approach to local content requirements. That will in turn boost both project bankability and investor sentiment.”

Earlier this year it was reported that Taiwan would miss its target of generating 20% of its electricity from renewable energy sources by the end of 2026 after environmental and land-use laws appeared to have stymied project development. The new roadmap, however, appears to signal the government’s renewed commitment to renewable energy development as the country continues to witness significant disruption to oil and gas supplies as a result of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The government has also indicated its intention to accelerate floating offshore wind, including plans for floating wind demonstration projects and broader deployment in deeper-water areas. This could potentially open up substantial new development opportunities beyond traditionally shallower fixed-bottom sites, said Yong Neng, particularly given that several operational floating wind demonstration projects across the globe are already demonstrating that floating foundations are “not simply a theoretical aspiration”.

While the risks involved in floating wind are great, Wee Jian enthused that the returns could be even greater provided the farms are structured, built, and operated properly.