Kaohsiung: Taiwan faces a “difficulty” in promoting offshore wind power, according to government officials speaking at the opening of the three-day 2025 Wind Energy Asia exhibition in Kaohsiung on Tuesday. “When people hear about promoting renewable energy, they all say ‘great!'” said Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Lien Ching-chang. “But when asked whether it would be good to promote it near their homes, they say ‘that’s not good.'”

According to Focus Taiwan, this presents a challenge for local governments, as acknowledged by Lien, who expressed hope that the expo at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center would foster “more communication” on the issue. Despite this challenge, Taiwan has already completed six offshore wind farms and installed 374 wind turbines, positioning the country as a leader in the growth of offshore wind power capacity.

Deputy Secretary-general of Kaohsiung City Government Wang Chi-Chuan also noted that Taiwan faces “pressure” in promoting offshore wind power, emphasizing its necessity for achieving the nation’s net-zero carbon emissions targets.

According to Interplan International Corporation, the organizer of the expo in Kaohsiung’s Cienjhen District, nearly 50 companies from over 10 countries, including the U.K., Norway, the Netherlands, Germany, the United States, and Singapore, are participating. The event will feature 15 forums from Feb. 25-27 covering topics such as wind farm operations and maintenance, turbine decommissioning and recycling, and heavy cargo maritime transport.