Last year in July, Yichun Xu and her manager touched down in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. Both had the task to establish the first DONG Energy Wind Power office in the APAC region .
"After completing my two-year graduate programme, I started working as Market Developer in the market development team. As part of my work, I looked into the potential of new markets, and Taiwan seemed the obvious choice, as the government is phasing out nuclear power and increasing the supply of green energy," Yichun Xu says.
Educating the market
Today, the Taipei office counts 18 DONG Energy employees. One half is local and the other half comes from DONG Energy's European offices. One of Yichun's responsibilities is to inform and teach the Taiwanese market about offshore wind power.
"When we first came here in July 2016, the office only counted two employees, so I've naturally had a lot of responsibility right from the start and I'm here where things are happening."
"Offshore wind power is a new technology in Taiwan, so we're facing a big task of informing and teaching the market about offshore wind farms and how to integrate them in the overall energy mix and infrastructure."
"Offshore wind power is an exciting and complex area to work with, and it creates various point of views among politicians and stakeholders in Taiwan."
Welcoming one to two new colleagues each month
Solar energy has a history of being the preferred source of renewable energy in Taiwan, but interest in offshore wind power is growing rapidly. This is also evident in the office in Taipei, which is growing by one to two employees each month.
"We're seeing an immense interest in our offshore wind power solutions. With an area of some 36,000 km2, Taiwan is smaller than Denmark. But the island is home to 23 million people, and most of the island is covered by mountains and forests. Most people therefore see offshore wind as a good option to replace the imported fossil fuels.”
"Moreover, offshore wind power is not only providing Taiwan with a new source of energy; it also introduces an entirely new industry and creates new job opportunities for Taiwan."
"The focus on the green transition and offshore wind power in the region is generating a variety of new and exciting tasks. Also, it's great to see our Taiwanese team grow with each passing day."
Ready to facilitate energy transitions in new markets
Yichun has two years left of her posting in Taiwan and is by no means deterred by new postings in new markets in the future.
"Coming to Taiwan has been an adventure; to enter a new market and contribute to Taiwan’s energy transition. I can easily imagine myself taking part in launching other new markets around the world. I'm ready for more adventures," she concludes.
