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1 October 2018
On Monday 17 September Atlas Professionals hosted a Renewables Roundtable event in Taipei, Taiwan, bringing together key clients and providers in the Taiwanese renewables industry.
Offshore Wind Opportunities in Taiwan and Asia Pacific
Taiwan has set itself the goal to have 20% of its energy from renewables by 2025. The country currently has 4.9% of its energy coming from renewables (Taipower). Celine Wang of Green Energy and Environment Laboratories at Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), one of the keynote speakers of the Renewables Roundtable, elaborated on the offshore wind energy policy and development in Taiwan, offering great insights for the attendees.
Next, the scope of the evening was broadened by sharing an outlook for the Asia Pacific Offshore Wind Industry. Topics on the agenda included the outlook, policy, projects in the pipeline and challenges for the offshore wind market in China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Like the presentor put it: the question is not if the Asia-Pacific region catch up with Europe with regards to offshore wind, but when.
Human Capital Challenge in Offshore Wind
However, the increase in offshore wind is creating a significant challenge on the human capital side: competent professionals. “Wind energy relies on highly trained experts and specialists and with all upcoming offshore wind targets and projects soon there just will not be enough people in the pool to choose from”, says Martine Rondeel, Global Commercial Director Renewables at Atlas Professionals. “That is why Atlas Professionals is joining forces with partners to share human capital knowledge and experience within the industry, focussing on cross training, setting up education facilities and competence management.”
Atlas Professionals is aiming to become the leading recruitment agency in the wind industry and has already played a key role with the supply of professionals in nearly all of the wind farms built in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark since 2008. “As our clients turn their attention to new emerging markets like in Taiwan, Japan, Korea, India, Vietnam and the US we aim to support them in achieving their ambitions and goals wherever they are in the world and play our part in generating energy for a greener planet”, Martine concludes.
Roundtable Discussion to continue in Australia
With new markets such as Australia, India and Thailand starting within the next five years, the first was also widely represented during the Renewables Roundtable event. Amongst them was the newly-appointed Operations Manager Renewables Larry Thorstensen. “With Renewables being a relatively new scope for the Australian and New Zealand energy market, it was enlightening to hear speakers, prospective clients and business partners talk with passion and drive towards a renewable energy future in the Asia Pacific Area”, Larry comments.
Ian Marshall, Business Development Manager at Atlas Professionals, adds: “It was great to meet and have valuable discussions with some of the most influential professionals involved in both onshore and offshore wind prospects across the APAC region. Personally, I think it is brilliant to see so much passion and to really have the ability to have meaningful and important discussions.”
