British wind power experts have been sharing their expertise with Taiwanese counterparts at a seminar in Taipei held by the British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO).
Led by Richard Brooks, head of Business Development of the Renewable Deployment Team of Britain’s Department of Energy and Climate Change, a U.K. delegation comprised of 16 experts from nine companies and three universities delivered presentations at the seminar about U.K. expertise in the offshore wind power sector.
{pagebreak}
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the seminar, BTCO Director Michael Reilly said the seminar was very timely, because as the world faces a major economic slowdown and the recent collapse of oil prices, some experts and politicians around the world have suggested that this is a time to go slowly in efforts to develop a low-carbon future.
“Acting now will place us all in a better position when the world economy picks up speed once again. Investing now in renewable energy projects will help counter the impact of the slowdown, ” Reilly said.
“And, most of all, increasing the use of renewable energy now will improve energy security in the years ahead,” he added.
According to Reilly, the U.K. became in 2008 the number one in the world for installed offshore wind power, with a 589 megawatt capacity of eight operating offshore wind farms and seven more under construction.
Noting that Taiwan is also keen to diversify its power supply and that the Taiwanese government has been promoting the importance of green energy over the past few years, Reilly said Taiwan and the U.K. have much in common and could work together in this area.
Taiwan has 185 wind turbines, with a total capacity of 347 megawatts and is planning to install 200 more in the next five years.
The seminar, titled “International Offshore Wind Power and Wind Turbine Technology” was held by the BTCO in collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Bureau of Energy.
