Taiwan and the UK have enjoyed a longstanding and close partnership in the areas of energy and climate. The 7th Taiwan–UK Energy Dialogue and the 20th Taiwan–UK Renewable Energy Roundtable convened in London on November 26, further deepening bilateral cooperation and fostering new opportunities for industry.

The Energy Dialogue serves as an important platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience between Taiwan and the UK. This year's discussions included offshore wind power policy, offshore wind project financing, and marine spatial planning. Meanwhile, the 20th Taiwan–UK Renewable Energy Roundtable focused on offshore wind port planning, subsea infrastructure, emerging marine energy technologies, smart grid integration, grid resilience, and energy storage technologies.

Vincent Chin-hsiang Yao, Head of the Taipei Representative Office in the U.K., and Lord Faulkner of Worcester, the UK's Trade Envoy to Taiwan, opened both meetings and jointly witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Metal Industries Research and Development Centre and the UK's Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult.

Representative Yao remarked that Taiwan and the UK share highly consistent policy directions on energy transition. He noted that the bilateral dialogues and the Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) agreement have laid a solid foundation for Taiwan–UK cooperation, and expressed hope for further deepening exchanges in the future.

Lord Faulkner congratulated Taiwan and the UK on the 20th anniversary of their cooperation in renewable energy, noting that the UK's Industrial Strategy aligns with Taiwan's 2050 Net-Zero Pathway vision. He expressed his confidence that both sides will surely continue to achieve new milestones together in the future on clean energy and in realizing net-zero targets.

Lee Chun-li, Director General of the Energy Administration, MOEA, stated that since the signing of the ETP in November 2023, Taiwan and the UK have continued to deepen their collaboration. As the bilateral cooperation entered the 20th anniversary this past June, Taiwan and the UK further signed the "Energy and net zero pillar of the Taiwan-UK ETP" under the ETP framework. He emphasized that Taiwan and the UK will continue to work hand in hand to advance the energy transition and move toward net-zero sustainability.

Simon Payne, Head of International Bilateral & Capability of the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, stated that the UK passed the world's first Climate Change Act in 2008 and continues to advocate for climate action internationally. He added, "We support Taiwan's net-zero efforts and will continue to cooperate with Taiwan."

The first session of the Energy Dialogue focused on offshore wind policy. Aidan Campbell, Head of Floating Offshore Wind of the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, shared the policy reforms for the UK's seventh offshore wind auction and the policy toolkits used to support the expansion of the UK's floating offshore wind industry. Cheng Ju-ming, Deputy Director of the Energy Administration, MOEA, provided updates on Taiwan's offshore wind deployment and the outlook for both fixed-bottom and floating offshore wind.

The second session addressed financing challenges for offshore wind projects. Shen Tien-chun, a project officer of National Credit Guarantee Administration at the Export-Import Bank of ROC, shared information on Taiwan's credit guarantee mechanisms and the challenges faced by the market. Shyam Desai, Economic Director at the British Office Taipei, shared preliminary findings from a project in which the Carbon Trust worked with Taiwanese market stakeholders to identify opportunities for enhancing the financing environment. Additionally, Jack Hebb, Senior Business Origination Officer at UK Export Finance, shared the agency's experience and case studies in financing Taiwan's offshore wind projects.

The final session discussed Marine Spatial Planning and its importance for the deployment of clean energy and the conservation of biodiversity. Chloe Meacher, Head of the Marine Strategy and Spatial Prioritisation at the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, shared the UK's strategy on marine spatial planning. Chen Wei-te, Director of the Metal Industries Research and Development Centre, presented on Taiwan's strategic priorities and future outlook for marine spatial planning.

At the "Taiwan–UK Renewable Energy Roundtable," keynote speeches on renewable energy development and the net-zero transition were delivered by Sandra Li, Head of Offshore and Onshore Wind at the UK Department for Business and Trade, and Liu Tzu-yar, Chief Strategy Officer of the Green Energy and Environment Research Laboratories at the Industrial Technology Research Institute. For Topic One, "Offshore Wind Port Planning and Subsea Infrastructure," presentations were given by Chung Cheng-hsien, Director of the Ship and Ocean Industries R&D Center, and Sam Strivens from Carbon Trust.

For Topic Two, "Offshore Wind and Emerging Marine Energy Technologies," insights were shared by the UK's Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (ORE Catapult), the Marine Energy Council, and Chen Wei-te, Director of the Metal Industries Research & Development Centre.

For Topic Three, "Smart Grid Integration, Grid Resilience, and Energy Storage Technology," joint presentations were delivered by Ho Ping-heng, Senior Grid Technical Engineer at Taiwan Power Company, and Peter Weston from Energy Systems Catapult.

This year represents a major milestone as the Taiwan-UK renewable energy partnership celebrates its 20 years of collaboration and exchange in renewable energy. We extend our sincere gratitude to our UK partners for their steadfast support and long-standing cooperation over the past two decades.

The experiences and expertise accumulated by both sides over this 20-year partnership have further strengthened bilateral ties and reflect our shared commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

Looking ahead, Taiwan will continue to work closely with the UK to advance the development of green energy and jointly build a sustainable, secure, and net-zero energy future.

Spokesperson for Energy Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs: Deputy Director General, Chih-Wei Wu
Contact Phone Number: 02-2775-7750, 0922-339-410
Email Address: [email protected]

Business Contact: Deputy Director, Ju-Ming Cheng
Contact Phone Number: 02-2775-7778, 0952-279-720
Email Address: [email protected]