If Taiwan is to catch up and become a major green energy country amid the world’s commitment to developing green energy applications, offshore wind power is an indispensable piece of the puzzle. To ensure that developers live up to their environmental impact assessment (EIA) pledges, the EPA continues to review relevant EIA supervision and control measures on a rolling basis so as to align with international practices and safeguard the environment.
Offshore wind power is a brand-new form of development for Taiwan. After compiling consultation results on the Policy Assessment for Offshore Wind Power Development of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and conducting EIA reviews for potential sites in the second stage of development, the EPA has proposed to use technological tools for the implementation of EIA supervision. For example, drones are used to monitor the positions of ships remotely, the placement of bubble curtains, and the ships’ Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) are used to ascertain the progress of construction in the sea. The EPA also cooperates with other government agencies, such as the Bureau of Energy and the Ocean Conservation Administration, to strengthen EIA supervision. The EPA is also assisted by scholars and experts to inspect protection measures taken by developers to fulfill the EIA requirements of offshore wind power projects, and to safeguard the environment by collecting concrete evidence of violations on which to base charges.
Developers of the third stage block development of offshore wind power in Taiwan are gradually sending documents to be reviewed by the EPA. The EPA will continue to pay attention to relevant issues so as to establish a consistent benchmark for EIA pledges. After the reviews are passed, the EPA will also carry out EIA supervision and require all development projects to implement their EIA pledges. Thus, the environment will be taken into account while the economy continues to develop, and as the power supply remains stable.
Sources: EPA
