Integrating NKT’s Expertise, WECS Empowers Taiwan’s Autonomous Green Supply Chain Transition
Taiwan’s offshore wind industry has achieved a defining milestone. Walsin Energy Cable System (WECS) held the inauguration ceremony for its Kaohsiung Submarine Cable Factory and Kaohsiung Port Pier A6-A today (December 6th) at the Kaohsiung Intercontinental Port. This world-class, high-end facility, integrated with its dedicated pier, marks a pivotal moment for Taiwan’s offshore wind industry supply chain.
WECS, a joint venture with NKT HV Cables AB (a subsidiary of the Danish NKT Group and one of the world’s leading manufacturers of submarine cables), has established the first localized submarine cable production base, affirming Taiwan’s entry into submarine cable manufacturing. The WECS factory, spanning 231,000 square meters and featuring a six-story tower that reaches 50 meters in height, will offer advanced submarine cable manufacturing processes incorporating international-grade quality control and a comprehensive process management system. Additionally, the low-carbon and smart manufacturing process that the factory employs will comply with the highest international ESG standards, demonstrating WECS’s commitment to production efficiency and sustainable manufacturing. The factory is scheduled to complete its type tests and prequalification program by early 2027 and commence commercial production in Q3 2027; meeting the future demands of domestic offshore wind farm development projects.
Offshore wind power is a crucial cornerstone for Taiwan’s energy transition towards Net-Zero by 2050, and submarine cables are the arteries that bring green electricity generated from offshore wind farms back to the national power grid. The inauguration of the WECS submarine cable factory signifies Taiwan’s capability to independently produce submarine cables going forward, enabling immediate local support for wind farm construction, operations & maintenance, mitigating the risks of import dependence and international supply chain volatility. All of these considerations help strengthen Taiwan’s energy security.
Mr. Yu-Lon Chiao, Chairman of Walsin Energy Cable System, emphasized in his address that with the booming development of the offshore wind power industry, the Kaohsiung Port Pier A6-A inauguration ceremony is an important base supporting domestic and Asia-Pacific regional wind farms. TIPC also looks forward to building on the successful public-private partnership of Intercontinental Phase I, Zone A6-A, to work with Walsin Lihwa Corporation and contribute to Taiwan’s energy transition, jointly setting a milestone for sustainable green energy development. The Kaohsiung Port Branch Office also pledged to continue providing a superior business environment to promote the co-prosperity of the port and the city, secure more competitive advantages for Taiwan in the Asia-Pacific wind power market, and establish Kaohsiung Port as a core base for the long-term development of the offshore wind power industry,” he said.
NKT CEO Claes Westerlind also stated at the ceremony, “The inauguration of the WECS submarine cable factory is a moment of pride and an important milestone. Since the formation of the partnership in 2023, Walsin Lihwa and NKT have combined expertise, culture, and vision to jointly build this state-of-the-art submarine cable factory. This achievement embodies our shared vision of accelerating the global clean energy transition and strengthening the resilience of critical infrastructure. With its expertise and commitment, NKT is honored to contribute to Taiwan’s path towards energy autonomy and net-zero emissions.”
The Kaohsiung Port pier A6-A, inaugurated simultaneously with the factory, will be jointly built by WECS and Taiwan International Ports Corporation, Ltd. (TIPC). It will officially become Taiwan’s first dedicated port pier designed for submarine cables. The port pier will facilitate the direct loading of submarine cables, which could be hundreds of kilometers in length, to be manufactured from the adjacent WECS factory onto vessels, achieving an integrated “zero transshipment, zero delay” operation. This significantly shortens the overall cable supply lead time and avoids the need to double-handle the cables, ensuring product quality stability. Mr. Chou Yung-Hui, Chairman of TIPC, stated that Port pier A6-A symbolizes an important starting point for Kaohsiung Port’s transition from a traditional logistics port to a “Green Energy Industry Port.” This transition will also drive the formation of a critical offshore wind industry cluster in Southern Taiwan, creating new opportunities for high-value-added employment and bringing further upgrades to the port area.
Through deep collaboration with world-class partners, WECS not only strengthens local industry competitiveness but also leads the upgrade of Taiwan’s green energy supply chain, bringing submarine cable technology and manufacturing capabilities onto the international stage. In the future, we will continue to use our professionalism and forward-looking vision to connect with global markets and enhance Taiwan’s competitiveness in the global green energy industry.
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About Walsin Energy Cable System (WECS):
WECS is a Taiwan-based offshore/submarine cable manufacturer, established through a strategic collaboration between Walsin Lihwa and NKT Cables AB, a subsidiary of NKT A/S – one of the leading cable manufacturers in the world. Our mission is to drive Taiwan’s green energy transition by providing timely-delivered, reliable, high-quality, and competitive offshore cable products. We aim to elevate Taiwan’s strategic position in the international wind and offshore cable industry, contributing to wind power generation and energy resilience.
From left to right:
Sherry Ho
President of Corporate Strategy & SCM Org., Walsin Lihwa
Michael Yong
Chief Strategy Officer, NKT
Chung-Hsien Chen
Deputy Director-General, Energy Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA)
Wen-Sheng Tseng
Chairman, Taiwan Power Company
Yu-Cheng Chiao
Chairman & CEO, Winbond Electronics Corp.
Chin-Tsang Ho
Deputy Minister, Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA)
Jong-Chin Shen
Senior Advisor to the President
Yu-Lon Chiao
Chairman, Walsin Energy Cable System & Walsin Lihwa
Jens Due Olsen
Chairman, NKT
Chi-Mai Chen
Mayor of Kaohsiung City
Joe Y. Chou
Chairman, Taiwan International Ports Corporation
Claes Westerlind
CEO and President, NKT
Ching-Chuan Lu
Deputy Director General, Department of Navigation and Aviation, Ministry of Transportation and Communications
Yu-Hsin Tsou
Deputy Director General, Industrial Development Administration, MOEA
Michael C. Hjorth
Chief Commercial Officer, NKT
Justin Wong
Chief Operating Officer, Walsin Energy Cable System
