TAIWAN / ENGLAND – With mutual goals to reach net-zero targets by 2050, the 18th UK–Taiwan Renewable Energy Conference was held today to deepen the partnership and to explore further collaboration opportunities on renewable energy development between the UK and Taiwan. More than 150 participants, including ten British business representatives, discussed the latest global renewable energy trends, shared capabilities and best practices in floating wind development, and operations and maintenance for offshore wind. Attendees also shared insights into emerging renewable energy technologies including low-carbon hydrogen, carbon capture, storage and smart grid.
Lord Faulkner of Worcester, the UK prime minister’s trade envoy to Taiwan and Yi-Ling CHEN, chief secretary of ministry of economic affairs represented the UK and Taiwan respectively to open the Conference.
UK grid technology company Reactive Technologies and Taiwan Power Company celebrated the rollout of Reactive Technology’s GridMetrix® platform. This platform is a grid stability measurement service software that offers real-time insight into the stability of a power system, enabling grid operators like Taiwan Power to save significant costs and manage risks more effectively. This partnership will enable Taiwan Power to accurately measure, visualise, forecast and better control inertia across its network and provide critical system stability data and insights as the network goes through a period of significant transition from fossil fuels and to renewable energy.
Lord Faulkner of Worcester, the UK Trade Envoy to Taiwan, said:
“The UK is committed to collaborating with international partners like Taiwan to overcome the challenges in energy transition, in particular the ones faced by the offshore wind industry. This is to ensure we collectively achieve our shared sustainability and net zero goals. The partnership between the UK’s Reactive Technologies and Taiwan Power Company is a great example of UK-Taiwan cooperation. This development will support stability and resilience of the power grid for Taiwan’s energy transition.”
Yi-Ling CHEN, chief secretary of ministry of economic affairs, remarked:
“The cooperation between Taiwan and the UK has been ongoing for 17 years. Both sides consider offshore wind as a key focus for cooperation, covering aspects including planning, investigation, construction and operation. Besides the promotion of offshore wind, the development of other emerging renewable energy such as floating wind, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage is also crucial. We appreciate the valuable information regarding renewable energy shared by the UK during previous conferences.”
Umair Choudhry, APAC Regional Energy Lead, Department for Business and Trade as the UK Chair of the 18th UK-Taiwan Renewable Energy Conference said:
“This conference has highlighted the strong and growing partnership between the UK and Taiwan in the renewable energy sector, especially in offshore wind. The UK has a wealth of knowledge, experience and resources which can support Taiwan to develop its offshore wind industry. Let us build a strong and lasting partnership between the UK and Taiwan – one that places sustainability at the forefront of our vision for the future.”
Taiwan chair, Cheng-Wei YU, director-general of bureau of energy, ministry of economic affairs, said:
“The UK is in a leading position in the global renewable energy field, and Taiwan has long considered the UK as an important partner in developing renewable energy and achieving energy transition goals. We are very pleased to witness the collaboration between Taiwan and the UK in grid stability monitoring services during this conference, and we look forward to more companies from Taiwan and the UK establishing partnerships in the renewable energy field.”
Taiwan is the UK’s most important offshore wind partner in the Asia Pacific region. More than 40 UK offshore wind companies have set up operations in Taiwan; many of these offices serve as the regional Asia-Pacific hub.