Interviewee Information

Questions and Answers

Q01. Given the time schedule required for the project, plus the manufacturing time, and the instability of the walrus, how can you more effectively control the risks and costs of manufacturing and transportation?

Walrus and transportation risks are handled by the developer, and the contract (with some clauses in it) and the respective subcontractors are used to ensure the transfer of the developer's cost risk to reduce risks.

Q02. In the field of wind power, what are the most challenging technical or engineering issues currently, and how are related industries addressing these challenges?

The finished products of offshore wind power companies are offshore, and the installation time is a very important process for offshore wind power generation. The reduction of offshore installation time is what Siemens needs to improve in the future, and it is also one of their goals.

Problems encountered: Wind turbine mainframes are getting bigger and bigger, and a small amount of installation is needed to reduce offshore installation time, and a small amount of damage to the geology is caused. The biggest challenge (dilemma) is in the installation industry. When installing equipment, it needs to go through 236 Meter installation. The ship will be operated, but because the size of wind turbines is still growing in the future, the 236 Meter operating facilities still need to be adjusted to reduce installation time and reduce other risks.

Q03. As the demand for renewable energy increases, since wind power can also cause damage to vegetation and soil, noise pollution, electromagnetic radiation pollution and other issues, do you think wind power can meet the growing demand for energy in the future? Be environmentally friendly? (Siting of wind farm sites is a very important aspect. Can you share some best practices and considerations for site selection?)

Before setting up offshore wind power plants, you need to obtain an environmental impact assessment permit, so Siemens will also send other companies for environmental impact assessment to make improvements and provide quantitative information. This can not only ensure the safety of the operation of the wind turbine itself, but also reduce the impact on the environment. Destruction of land and surrounding ecology.

Q04. The cost of wind power has dropped significantly over the past decade. What do you think is the main reason for this cost reduction, and is there potential for further cost reduction in the future?

Offshore wind power technology is gradually maturing. The most important thing is that the development of wind turbines with higher power generation efficiency can reduce the total number of wind turbines and reduce operating costs (the cost of operating offshore wind power). is the highest) to reduce the installation time and cost, the invention of convenient electronics to increase the power generation efficiency and energy storage size of wind power, and part of it is the balance between new materials and price.

Q05. In terms of community participation, how do local residents participate in the planning and execution of wind power projects? Does such participation help improve the sustainability of the project?

(From Developer’s perspective)

-Denmark is an example: Let residents participate in the construction of wind power plants to be built in the community. For example, residents around the power plant may become shareholders and share part of the benefits brought by future wind power generation to them.

-In addition, Taiwan's offshore wind power generation will also cooperate with nearby people or communities. For example, it may provide nearby fishermen with services as cetacean observers or captains to provide more job opportunities. Take the company's cabin bed in Taichung as an example. It will actually provide many job opportunities to surrounding residents.

Q06. How are energy storage solutions developing in wind power technology? What impact does this have on improving the stability and reliability of renewable energy?

In wind power technology, energy storage solutions continue to develop, such as using batteries or hydrogen energy storage. This improves the stability and reliability of renewable energy, allowing it to regulate energy supply more effectively to weather changes and demand peaks.

Q07. What role does international cooperation play in the development of wind power? How can countries share experiences and cooperate to solve the challenges of the global energy transition?

International cooperation plays a key role in the development of wind power, promoting the sharing of technology, resources and markets. Countries share experiences through international organizations, bilateral agreements and transnational projects to jointly solve global energy transition challenges, including technological innovation, policy formulation and energy infrastructure construction.

Q08. Wind power life cycle analysis is an important assessment tool. Can you talk about the research findings in this area and point out industry efforts and innovations in reducing environmental impact?

The main structure of the wind turbine is the tower, nacelle and blades. Their main warranty period is 25 years, but it mainly depends on the needs of the customer. However, some detailed parts still need maintenance during these 25 years. Compared with land-based generators, offshore generators have higher corrosion protection requirements.

Q09. What would be recommended if we wanted to enter the wind turbine manufacturer development/field as a college major (e.g. chemical engineering, mechanical or materials engineering, etc.)?

This field is very broad, including not only engineering schools, but also business schools and liberal arts schools. For example, when signing a firm contract for large-scale equipment, the Faculty of Arts needs to conduct professional legal assessment. The commercial part is to calculate those business models, so wind turbine manufacturers actually involve a wide range of expertise in developing it.

Q10. Last year, your company's onshore turbines (wind blades and bearings) were damaged faster than expected. Not only might the company have to pay huge maintenance fees, but it also caused the stock price to plummet by more than 36%. In response to this incident, has your company made any technical changes to prevent the same thing from happening again?

After the onshore turbine was damaged several times last year, the company conducted an investigation and review of some of its components afterwards, hoping to improve the quality defects. But it is not a problem that can be solved immediately in a short period of time. It is a process that requires a gradual process, so they hope to set a time-based goal to improve quality problems step by step.

Q11. Based on the development of wind farms, what are the expectations in ten years?

The growth of fans is actually very fast. Coupled with the huge scale of the market, this product is highly volatile, so there is no guarantee that there will be any major changes in ten years. But it can be said that if nuclear fusion can improve the problems of power plants and pollution, it will be a very good progress.