On Friday 1 June 2018, Royal IHC and IHC IQIP both signed a memorandum of agreement with Ship and Ocean Industries R&D Centre (SOIC) in Taiwan. The aim of the agreement is to cooperate in the design and construction of equipment and vessels for the offshore wind industry in the region, the company said in its press release.
IHC will concentrate on the concept and basic design, and the subsequent local construction of equipment. SOIC is a government-owned engineering company with more than 120 engineers providing designs and technology services to the Taiwanese marine industry. It will initially focus on detailed designs and sourcing local partners.
The offshore wind market in Taiwan is growing rapidly. In April, the Ministry of Economic Affairs selected seven developers and allocated 3.8 GW of offshore wind capacity, to be built and commissioned by 2025. This will be a major step forward for Taiwan’s offshore wind industry and offers great potential for European and Taiwanese companies.
Involvement of the local supply chain and local content are important demands from the Taiwanese government and, with this agreement, IHC and IHC IQIP expect to become important players in this sector.