UPDATED 1 Sept: The EI library in London is temporarily closed to the public, as a precautionary measure in light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation. The Knowledge Service will still be answering email queries via email , or via live chats during working hours (09:15-17:00 GMT). Our e-library is always open for members here: eLibrary , for full-text access to over 200 e-books and millions of articles. Thank you for your patience.
New Energy World™
New Energy World™ embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low-carbon technologies.
Power struggle: Taiwan’s energy transition and offshore wind bottleneck
13/8/2025
8 min read
Feature
Globally, extreme weather events cost over $451bn between 2022 and 2023. Taiwan is no exception, facing more frequent floods, typhoons and droughts. But for the island nation, climate mitigation is just one of several drivers shaping its energy transition, as the world’s prime semiconductor producer deals with burgeoning energy demands. Charlie Bush reports.
Taiwan imports 96.3% of its energy, making it acutely vulnerable to supply disruptions. With mounting tensions across the Taiwan Strait and the looming threat of a blockade or invasion by China, energy security is inseparable from national security.
Compounding these challenges is Taiwan’s nuclear phase-out, initially triggered by Japan’s 2011 Fukushima disaster. The country’s final nuclear plant closed in May this year. Meanwhile, electricity demand, especially from its world-leading semiconductor sector, is surging, projected to grow by 236% between 2021 and 2030, according to a Greenpeace report.
Taiwan’s geography also presents unique constraints. With over 23 million people living on just one-third of its rugged, mountainous main island, large-scale commercial onshore wind or solar farms are difficult to deploy. Offshore wind has, therefore, emerged as a strategic solution as it enables domestic clean energy generation while physically asserting sovereignty over its territory, sending a clear message to Beijing. Taiwan’s government has committed to offshore wind development in phases, commissioning 500 MW in 2020, 5 GW during 2021–2025, and more to follow up until 2030, according to Asia-Pacific law firm Eiger.