b'tion due to begin in 2021. fromfewerinstallations.Thatmeanstial stages of development, Taiwan will Taiwandemonstrateshowoffshoreconstruction costs come down as well,allow foreign-flagged vessels to supply windissweepingthroughEastAsia.although challenges can mount. and support offshore construction proj-Chinaisprojectedtobecometheects. According to Mross, the govern-The Taiwan example also shows thementwillpermitfortheforeseeable worldslargestoffshorewindgenera- opportunities available for constructionfuture the large, highly specialized for-tor in the next three years, overtakingand logistics support, as the country at- eign-flagged, jack-up vessels necessary the current leader, United Kingdom. Bytempts to rapidly jumpstart and developforconstruction.Forsmallervessels, 2022, China will have installed almosta supply chain. The ports of Kaohsiungthegovernmentsupportsatransition 11GW of offshore wind power, accord- and Taichung will also need improve- from foreign-flagged vessels to domes-ing to FTI Consulting.mentstoreceiveandstagethewindtic fleets and Taiwan crews, he said. East Asian Offshore Wind farm components. That has important implications be-OtherEast Asiannationsarepress- Withconstruction,logisticssupportcause it takes time to build up a local ingaheadaswell.Accordingtotheandmaintenance,thecountryneedsproper supply chain, which goes from researchandconsultingfirmWoodto take a measured approach to what itsmallerproducts,smallerservicesup does itself and what it relies on others toto the larger, fully contracted services, McKenzie,SouthKoreashouldin- do, Mross believes. Taiwan will dependsaid Mross. Taiwan has made a quite stall6.4GWofoffshorewindpoweron foreign companies and talent at first,good approach to that, allowing time by 2030. Japan recently passed a lawto reach a critical mass for their local that should spur offshore wind devel- eventuallytransitioningtodomesticsupply industry.opment there as well, although it mustsuppliers.Meanwhile,domesticcom-panies will gain expertise and knowl- Thistransitionalperiodshouldas-overcome some geological and wateredge as they invest in the industry andsist Taiwans efforts to not only devel-depth impediments first. partner with outside companies. op an indigenous supply chain, but to get up to speed on wind farm opera-The Taiwan government announcedtionandmaintenance. Thatscritical, ratesubsidiesandincentivesforoff- Our role is to set up such knowhowMross believes, because foreign com-shore power in 2017, with further clari- transferbybringinginexperiencedpanies wont be in Taiwan forever and companies from Europe to Taiwan, [andlocal companies must eventually take fications earlier this year. These rates in- pairing them] with Taiwanese compa- responsibility.Ashepointedout,a centives spurred a flurry of interest andnies, whether it be a joint venture or autility cant afford to wait months un-development. Taiwan has proposals ontil a foreign crew arrives to repair an the table for projects totaling 10.5GW,loose cooperation, Mross said. out-of-commission turbine. according to Offshore Magazine. ThevesselsneededtoservicebothThistransferenceprocesswilltake the construction and the ongoing op- severalyears,andprogressfromthe Taiwanisattemptingtoplaycatcherations of the wind farm provide onesimpler tasks to the more complex. Lo-up with neighbors. Its also benefitingexample.AndMrosscontrastedhowcal crew transfer vessels, according to from advances in wind power technol- Mross, can become proficient in a few ogy.Bigger,morepowerfulturbinesTaiwanisapproachingitssupportofmonths time.translateintomorepowergeneratedthe industry with the US, which is cir-cumscribed by the Jones Act. In the ini-50 THE UNCONTAINED www.theuncontained.com'