Google's Wind PPA: Growing Renewable Energy in Taiwan
Asia, like the rest of the world, must transition rapidly to renewable energy, but renewable sources generate 34% of electricity, lagging behind the global average of 41%.
Google has taken a significant step towards its 2030 carbon-free energy ambition by signing its first offshore wind power purchase agreement (PPA) in the Asia-Pacific region.
The agreement is with the 495MW Fengmiao I offshore wind project in Taiwan, developed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP).
A first for offshore wind in Taiwan
Scheduled to begin operations in 2027, the Fengmiao I project will furnish clean energy to Google's facilities encompassing data centres, cloud regions and offices in Taiwan.
This step aligns with Google's overarching objective to operate on carbon-free energy continuously by the decade's end.
Fengmiao I is the first project from Taiwan’s Round 3.1 offshore wind auction to reach financial close.
This milestone is expected to catalyse further growth in Taiwan’s renewable energy market as the country works to meet rising energy demand while phasing out fossil fuels.
“Offshore wind is facing headwinds in several markets and therefore reaching financial close for Fengmiao I demonstrates our commitment to delivering offshore wind even in uncertain times,” says Jesper Krarup Holst, Partner and Head of APAC at CIP.
“Our collaboration with CIP and the supportive landscape in Taiwan – in both the legislature and the community – reinforce our belief in the massive potential for offshore wind development in the region.”
Carbon-free energy in Taiwan
Google's partnership with CIP aligns with its strategic energy initiatives in Taiwan, where it already has solar and geothermal agreements in place.
These endeavours contribute to its commitment to 24/7 carbon-free energy (CFE), aiming to provide sustainable power every hour.
In 2024, Google collaborated with BlackRock to invest in solar projects initiated by New Green Power.
The company also signed a deal with Baseload Capital for geothermal energy, diversifying its local energy mix.
“As we embark on the construction phase, we do so proudly in the knowledge that we are accelerating Taiwan’s energy transition, advancing toward its goal to install 15 GW of additional offshore wind capacity between 2026 and 2035, and revitalising the communities in which we operate,” comments Mark Wainwright, CEO of Fengmiao I.
Since 2007, Google says it has operated as a carbon-neutral company and since 2017, it has matched 100% of its global electricity use with renewable energy annually.
The company has embraced its 24/7 CFE goal to improve energy supply alignment with real-time demands.
By early 2024, Google had accomplished 66% hourly CFE integration across its global operations, which now include more than 80 agreements worldwide, enhancing the grid with more than 10GW of clean energy.
However, its emissions rose by 48% in 2024 compared with 2023.
Meeting climate goals with offshore wind
Offshore wind is a potent tool for decarbonising electricity systems, especially in land-scarce regions.
Higher and steadier sea winds allow offshore turbines to produce more energy compared to their onshore counterparts.
On a global scale, offshore wind capacity reached 83.2 GW by the end of 2024, marking an 8 GW addition for the year.
Despite a 26% drop from 2023, this still marked the fourth-strongest year for offshore wind growth on record according to the Global Wind Energy Council.
Taiwan remains a regional leader, targeting 15 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2035.
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