Taiwan’s Phase 3.3 Auction: Sparse Bids and the Localization Dilemma

In this episode of PowerPod, host Dan Wiseman is joined by James Payne and Chao Guo to examine Taiwan’s latest offshore wind auction results and the wider challenges facing the market in Phase 3.3. They explore why Taiwan has turned to offshore wind so strongly. Surging electricity demand from semiconductors and AI, combined with heavy reliance on imported LNG and a long standing anti-nuclear policy have made the resource a strategic priority. The conversation then turns to the shift from the heavily subsidised Phases 3.1 and 3.2 to the subsidy free Phase 3. Localisation requirements, elevated costs and difficulties securing long-term corporate PPAs have slowed progress sharply, leaving only a handful of projects under construction or at financial close. Dan, James and Chao break down the Phase 3.3 outcome itself: just two overlapping bids from Ørsted and CIP, well short of the original 3.6 GW target. They also discuss the government’s decision to remove mandatory localisation rules after an EU WTO challenge, only to reintroduce local content incentives through an ESG points system. The episode closes by looking ahead to the accelerated timetable for Phase 3.4, the draft floating wind demonstration programme, and what these developments mean for Taiwan’s energy security and future developer interest.