Taiwanese green energy industry targets Turkish market for its strong growth potential, said head of Taiwanese trade association, in a bid to expand its cooperations with Turkey's solar industry.
'We organize [Taiwanese green energy] manufacturers that intend to expand into our target markets and Turkish domestic demand has strong growth momentum,' said Walter Yeh, the President and CEO of the country's nonprofit trade promoting organization, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) in a recent meeting organized by the council.
'Turkey is one of the target markets for Taiwanese green energy industry,' he said and added that Taiwan seeks to expand its cooperations with Turkish solar market.
Taiwan, an energy poor island, strives to improve its industrial production for supporting its economy. The country prioritize high value-added technological production areas especially renewable technologies to expand its export product line-up.
Turkish solar sector is among the high-potential markets and Taiwan aims at developing this kind of solar foreign markets, he said.
'Turkish domestic demand has strong growth momentum. Turkey’s Electricity Market Law encourages more renewable energy, thus pushing for further growth momentum. According to trade statistics, the amount of solar cells exported to Turkey increased by about 257 percent in 2017 compared with the previous year.
'Moreover, for the solar photovoltaic industry, the export value to Turkey in the first four months of this year was around 109 percent, higher than that of the same period of last year,' he said.
Taiwan’s solar cell industry inside the solar energy industry accounts for about 10 percent of the global solar cell production, second only to mainland China, according to Green Trade Project Office, a Taiwanese green energy think tank.
Turkey's economy is booming and the country's energy sector is in a transition process of having more new green energy, which creates opportunities for the two countries, Yeh said.
'In mid-October, we will handle forums in Turkish cities of Istanbul and Ankara, respectively,' he said and added that the event will increase future cooperation.
The organization also plans to bring representatives from Taiwanese companies for creating new trade opportunities, he said.
'At the same time, we will organize a delegation, consisting green manufacturers, to Turkey. About ten Taiwanese companies will meet, talk and share experience with Turkish counterparts. So, we are also arranging matchmaking for the industry. This is a great chance for both sides,' he explained.
'We hope that it can give the best effect to help to Turkish companies to find more business models with Taiwanese companies,' Yeh added.
By Firdevs Yuksel in Taipei
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr