Taiwan’s onshore wind fleet is entering a new phase, with aging turbines requiring life extension, repowering or decommissioning. (Photo: Pixabay)
Taiwan’s legislature in mid-June passed amendments to the Waste Disposal Act, strengthening producer responsibility and the use of technology in waste enforcement. The revised law also brings renewable energy equipment, including solar panels and wind turbine blades, under Taiwan’s mandatory recycling framework.
The issue has drawn greater public attention following a fire at an onshore wind turbine in Mailiao, Yunlin County, in late May, raising concerns over the safety and disposal of aging wind turbines.
As Taiwan’s onshore wind fleet enters a new phase of maturity, the challenge is no longer limited to adding renewable energy capacity. Developers are increasingly preparing for the full lifecycle of wind assets, from extending the operating life of existing turbines and repowering aging projects to decommissioning and recycling retired equipment.
wpd Taiwan, one of Taiwan’s leading onshore wind developers, said the current regulatory framework allows turbines to be replaced only with models of the same capacity and height. Since many older turbine models are no longer in production, the company said the rules have made repowering projects difficult to implement and called for the regulatory framework to evolve alongside the industry’s needs.
Unlock the full article to explore three key takeaways:
- Taiwan’s first generation of onshore wind farms is entering a renewal cycle, with more than 300 MW of capacity requiring life extension or repowering over the next decade.
- Developers say outdated permitting and environmental review requirements remain the biggest obstacle to repowering aging wind turbines.
- With wind turbine blades now covered by Taiwan’s recycling regulations, the industry is moving toward full lifecycle management.
