BlueFloat Energy Partners with Ship and Ocean Industries R&D Center (SOIC), CR Classification Society, Ahead of the Bid Preparation for the Upcoming Taiwan's Floating Wind Demonstration Program

octubre 4, 2024

BlueFloat Energy Partners with Ship and Ocean Industries R&D Center (SOIC), CR Classification Society, Ahead of the Bid Preparation for the Upcoming Taiwan’s Floating Wind Demonstration Program

Taipei, October 4, 2024 – BlueFloat Energy has taken a significant step forward in furthering Taiwan’s floating offshore wind sector by signing key collaboration agreements with the Ship and Ocean Industries R&D Center (SOIC) and CR Classification Society. These agreements focus on the “Design and Analysis of Floating Offshore Wind Systems Tailored to Taiwan’s Unique Environmental Conditions.” Additionally, BlueFloat Energy formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Taiwan University’s Ocean Center (NTUOC) to conduct a comprehensive morpho-dynamic study for its “Winds of September” project. Together, these partnerships lay a strong foundation for advancing bid for Taiwan’s upcoming Floating Wind Demonstration Program.

Partnering with SOIC and CR to Customize Floating Offshore Wind Systems for Taiwan, Paving the Way for a Thriving Domestic Floating Wind Industry

Building on the initial collaboration launched last year, BlueFloat Energy and SOIC further deepen their partnership, by signing an agreement on «Design and Analysis of Floating Offshore Wind System for Specific Taiwanese Environments» during Energy Taiwan conference, involving also CR. This agreement aims to address the unique challenges posed by Taiwan’s marine environment and regulatory framework by conducting comprehensive studies on the region’s geography, climate, and specific requirements for floating offshore wind. The results of this research will inform the Employer Requirements for the system design in the context of the upcoming Floating Wind Demonstration Program in Taiwan.

Michael Pinkerton, BlueFloat Energy Country Manager for Taiwan, said “since entering the market, we have been actively engaging with the Taiwanese government, industry, and academia to drive technological advancements, particularly for floating wind technologies. In August, we just announced that the «Winds of September Project – Phase I» located off the coast of Hsinchu City, will install up to 12 floating platforms with an expected installed capacity of 180 MW. We will continue to prepare for the upcoming demo tender, expected to be launched later this year, and look forward to bringing innovation to Taiwan.”

Dr. Shien-Kuang Chou, CEO from SOIC, emphasized » SOIC has been dedicated to the research and development of floating wind power technologies for many years. Last year, we signed an MOU with BlueFloat Energy, and this year, we further solidified it into an industry-academia collaboration. This partnership combines our expertise in floating wind system integration for local conditions with CR’s seismic risk assessment capabilities, supporting BlueFloat Energy in managing Taiwan-specific risks in floating wind farm development. This project also showcases SOIC’s commitment to applying its technical advancements to serve the industry.”

Dr. Chien-Hua Huang, Chief Surveyor from CR, echoed «floating foundations, similar to hull structures, require rigorous engineering design and construction. CR, as the only government-authorized ship inspection institution in Taiwan, possesses extensive expertise in the inspection of floating structures and evaluation of marine environmental conditions. They are also well-versed in international standards and domestic regulations. We believe that the collaboration between the SOIC and BlueFloat Energy will fully leverage the strengths of the parties.»

Additionally, BlueFloat Energy has partnered with the NTUOC, the team with the deepest understanding of Taiwan’s surrounding waters. Leveraging their expertise in marine geological surveys of the Taiwan Strait, signing an MoU on the morpho-dynamic study for its “Winds of September Project – Phase I”. This collaboration will focus on assessing potential geological disaster risks based on seabed survey results.

BlueFloat Energy is ready! We are poised to make a critical contribution toward achieving offshore wind capacity targets for Taiwan

BlueFloat Energy is seeking not only to spearhead the development of Taiwan’s first floating wind farm but also to establish a sustainable and resilient floating wind industry locally.

Clément Mochet, Acting Executive Vice President Asia at BlueFloat Energy, said: “offshore wind development offers enormous economic benefits for Taiwan. Each project can attract significant investment, potentially exceeding NT$100 billion depending on its scale. After nearly 3 years in the market, our confidence in investing in Taiwan remains strong. Taiwan now stands at a critical juncture in the global energy transition, impacting not only its energy policies but also its international competitiveness. Floating wind has made significant strides this year in France and the UK. We believe that launching floating demonstrations by the end of 2024 is ideal for advancing Taiwan floating wind development, which will help focus on determining how to deploy various aspects of floating wind technology, in order to assess local supply chain capabilities, and effectively accelerate the subsequent cost-reduction through future commercial phase.»

Leveraging our partner’s extensive experience and research capabilities in marine engineering combined with BlueFloat Energy’s deep technical expertise in floating offshore wind, we stand ready to advance the deployment of Taiwan’s floating offshore wind industry. and to contribute to Taiwan’s 2035 offshore wind installation capacity target to meet corporate green power needs.

###

Milestones of “Winds of September-Phase 1” Project

March 2023, As the first developer to deploy a floating LiDAR in the deep waters of Hsinchu, we have successfully collected a complete dataset spanning over four seasons. Furthermore, we have established a cooperative partnership with HCFA to provide vessel escort services.

October 2023, Signed MOUs with SOIC and NTU focusing on technological research and development as well as talent cultivation.

January 2024, Winds of September Project successfully passed the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) review.

May 2024, Under the guidance of Hsinchu City Government, collaborated with Hsinchu Fishermen Association to organize a fish fry release event to promote marine resource conservation.

August 2024, signed an agreement with MIRDC to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the local supply chain for floating offshore wind.

About BlueFloat Energy

BlueFloat Energy is a nimble and fast-growing offshore wind developer shaping the global energy transformation by bringing scaled decarbonization solutions to new markets. Headquartered in Madrid, Spain, BlueFloat Energy’s team has extensive experience in floating wind farm development and construction. It is financially backed by the US-based 547 Energy and Quantum Energy Partners. Currently, BlueFloat Energy is developing offshore wind power projects in 10 geographies around the globe with a total installed capacity of around 32 GW, including a pipeline of circa 28 GW floating offshore wind farms.

For more information, please visit

http://bluefloat.com