MHI Vestas teams up with Taiwan offshore wind energy

MHI Vestas Offshore Wind has signed MOUs with four Taiwan companies in a bid to form an ecosystem supporting Taiwan’s transition to clean energy.

The four local firms are: China Steel Machinery, Tien Li, Swancor, and and Formosa Plastics, according to MHI Vestas, a joint venture established by Japan-based Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Denmark-based wind turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems.

Under the MOUs, China Steel will produce steel towers for 9MW turbine platforms; Swancor will supply composite materials and resins; Formosa Plastics will supply plastic materials; and Tien Li will be responsible for making blades.

Swancor has been working with MHI Vestas to develop materials for offshore wind turbines, including infusion epoxy resin, bonding paste and carbon fiber board, company president Lucas Lin said.

Tien Li will set up a factory to produce blades at the Taichung Harbor, central Taiwan, company president Jonathan Lin noted.

MHI Vestas will set up its Asia Pacific headquarters in Taiwan at the earliest in June 2018 and plans to set up a factory to assemble offshore wind turbines in Taiwan by 2022.