StormGeo to Increase Offshore Wind Activities in Taiwan

StormGeo wants to actively support Taiwan’s ambition of becoming a major offshore wind hub in the region. StormGeo will establish a new forecasting center operated by local meteorologists servicing Taiwan and the entire East Asia and Oceania region.

A new forecasting center in Taiwan will increase StormGeo’s presence in the region and provide accurate weather forecasting services to offshore wind players from Japan to Australia. With a fully operational forecasting center, StormGeo can support both existing and future clients in the area, providing localized weather forecasting services in both Mandarin and English languages.

“Today, StormGeo is the leading weather forecasting services provider in Taiwan, contributing to industry growth and success through accurate weather window and typhoon threat predictions,” Frode Korneliussen, Head of Operations for Weather Insights at StormGeo, says. “In the future, we want to see our experience and expertise support the growth of offshore wind in Asia-Pacific as a whole. A new forecasting office in Taiwan can be the platform for this expansion.”

StormGeo has been a part of Taiwan's offshore wind industry development from the very beginning, helping to support the first commercial-scale offshore wind project, Formosa 1, in 2016. Currently, StormGeo supports six ongoing offshore wind projects in Taiwan and offers support to Taiwanese Round 3 projects via its owner Alfa Laval's local offices.

StormGeo expects to start hiring local Taiwanese forecasters in 2023 or early 2024, bringing the local forecasting center up to speed as construction picks up on the first Round 3 projects. The local forecasters will be trained by experienced personnel from existing forecast centers in Europe and the UAE to ensure efficient knowledge transfer. StormGeo plans to increase the local headcount following expected business growth, aiming for a fully operational 24/7/365 office by the end of the decade.

“Renewable energy is in the midst of a revolution, and StormGeo actively pursues opportunities that can enable and drive the green energy transition globally. Our ambition to increase our presence in Taiwan is not only a part of our expansion in offshore wind but also in line with our overarching mission to support the shift to more sustainable and green energy sources,” says Jostein Mælan, COO for Weather Insights at StormGeo.

When extending its reach in Asia-Pacific, StormGeo will rely on extensive experience in setting up local operational offices, including the opening of forecasting offices in Aberdeen, U.K., and Baku, Azerbaijan. Furthermore, StormGeo will leverage over 35 years of business experience in Taiwan through its owner, Alfa Laval, to successfully localize StormGeo in the country.

A new forecasting center in Taiwan will not only offer local support to StormGeo’s clients in the region, but it will also enable clients to obtain additional localization bonus points by engaging with StormGeo for their bidding on new project licenses. As the offshore wind market in Asia continues to grow, StormGeo’s ambition is to establish a platform for its forecasting work in the whole region of East Asia and Oceania, including forecasting for offshore wind in Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Australia, and the Philippines.

About StormGeo

StormGeo is a global provider of weather intelligence and decision support services, with leading solutions for shipping, oil and gas, renewable energy, utilities, cross industries, media and aviation. StormGeo’s products and services help clients manage risk, optimize performance, reduce costs and increase revenue amid climate change. The company has 24 offices globally, including eight 24/7/365 global operations centers.