Page 6 - AsiaElec Week 09 2023
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AsiaElec POWER AsiaElec
Taiwan breaks new ground with
subsea power cables
TAIWAN TAIWAN’S ongoing efforts to seemingly according to reports, with the finished site
power the nation of 24mn by way of increas- producing a mix of cables capable of trans-
WHAT: ing numbers of large-scale offshore wind mitting high and medium voltages.
Taiwanese firm to cut installations received a major boost in late Responsibility for the construction falls
teeth on subsea cable February. primarily on the host nation firm, with
making. Coming in the form of an agreement to NKT offering required technical support as
build the nation’s first subsea power cable needed. Crucial for
WHY: factory, wind industry officials across Tai- Yu-Lon Chiao, Walsin Lihwa’s chairman,
Nation’s reliance on wan have seen the deal with Denmark’s NKT, said of the deal that “Taiwan is blessed with the Taiwanese
offshore wind in the a leading global cable maker, as key in being an abundance of wind resources, present-
years ahead demands able to increase the presence of wind instal- ing vast commercial opportunities in off- partners in the
local awareness of lations around the island. shore wind power and submarine cable.
transmission tech. A press release issued by NKT, to announce Walsin is honoured to enter into a win-win joint venture is
the joint venture with local specialty cable partnership with NKT, a world-class cable the inclusion of
WHAT NEXT: manufacturers Walsin Lihwa, said: “The fac- solutions provider with leading technol-
Installation by 2027. tory will produce high- and medium-volt- ogy, to further our clean energy strategy NKT technology
age AC offshore power cables mainly for and contribute towards Taiwan’s green
the Taiwanese offshore wind market. This is energy future.” under licence.
expected to grow rapidly in the next decade Crucial for the Taiwanese partners in the
to drive the green transition of the country.” joint venture is the inclusion of NKT tech-
“We expect high growth in the Asian nology under licence, but the exact role the
market in the coming decades. Taiwan is new venture will play in upcoming offshore
targeting to install [an] additional 15 GW of installation plans is as yet unclear.
offshore wind by 2035. The joint venture is an The Ministry of Economic Affairs in Tai-
attractive opportunity for NKT from a finan- wan is expected to add at least 3 GW of off-
cial perspective and an opportunity for us to shore capacity to the national grid in the next
participate in a new growing market, which is four years, with much of this forecast to be in
otherwise challenging to serve,” NKT presi- waters off central Taiwan’s west coast.
dent and CEO, Alexander Kara, was later Plans are also afoot to add around 15 GW
reported as saying. of additional capacity in the same west coast
The NKT-Walsin Lihwa deal will see region, and are expected to be announced in
the factory site up and running by 2027, the next few years.
P6 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 09 01 •March•2023
