Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) is turning the screw on offshore wind developers over their local content commitments, as localisation of the island’s sector emerges as a contentious issue in the upcoming presidential election.

Minister of economic affairs Shen Jong-Chin sent a stark warning to international offshore wind developers at a legislative consultation session earlier in October. Companies would be “out” and “replaced by second-tier candidates,” if they fail to fulfil with the localisation targets set forth by the ministry, Shen said.