HONG KONG, July 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Global warming and the push for green living have led to wind power being viewed as the most mature and relatively cost-effective form of renewable energy, due to its infinite, emissions-free, and non-polluting nature. Wind power is now being actively developed around the world, and offers tremendous potentials. In Taiwan, the development of green energy is continuing to gather steam due to the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program and Nuclear-free Homeland policy. The Taiwan government aims to build 4.2 GW of wind-power generation capacity by 2025, with 3.0 GW to come from offshore wind turbines.
To capture a share of the offshore wind power market, Ming Rong Yuan (MRY) has become a trailblazer for the domestic wind power industry with its recent completion of ISO 3834-2 (welding quality system) and EN 1090 EXC3 (steel structure) certification. Established in 1982, MRY is located in Xinyuan Township, Pingtung County, and is one of Asia's professional makers of large pressure vessels. Its products and services are used in the refining, petrochemical, steel, and energy industries. MRY had previously participated in the Ministry of Economic Affairs' offshore wind power mounting localization and certification program. To build a domestic manufacturing capability for the localization of marine foundation piles, MRY threw itself into the foundation pile R&D and certification process, and completed TUV Rheinland certification in June this year.
Taiwan is an island located in the subtropical region. Strong light, high salt content in the air, as well as the force of waves all have a very large impact on offshore wind turbines and surface structures. Weld integrity is therefore of particular importance for the key materials and welded structures (e.g., base, tower, turbine blades, and generator unit) of offshore wind turbines. The marine environment affects the life of welded structures in a wind farm, and thus if welding issues in wind-turbine structures are not resolved, there may be an impact on the efficiency of the turbine unit, and it may even fail.
Many wind power tenders therefore require the contractor to have both EN 1090 EXC3 and ISO 3834-2 certification as proof of their welding management quality. The ISO 3834 standard for welding quality management has already been adopted by the refining, petrochemical, bridge, and rail transport industries. These are now joined by the wind power and green energy industry. ISO 3834 is the basis for any product standards. It can be considered the welding version of ISO 9000, and thus is often complemented by other product standards, such as: EN 1090 for steel and aluminum structures, EN 15085 for railway vehicles, and EN 12952 for water-tube boilers. Most technical specifications for wind power have been originated in Europe, so EN 1090 is used as the standard for fabrication of steel structures, while the ISO 3834 standard is used for proof of conformity for welding quality. The difficulty of constructing offshore wind power farms means there are strict requirements on the durability of offshore sea turbines as well as their resistance to fracture, corrosion, and brittleness. As a result, insurance companies also require operators to provide corresponding proofs of inspection as a condition of underwriting.
MRY is following the green energy movement very closely, and its early acquisition of ISO 3834-2 and EN 1090 EXC3 certification in support of the government's localization policy for the wind power industry means it is the first to be given a ticket to wind farms. MRY has as well set an example for other vendors interested in entering the wind power market. "We are the first in Taiwan to obtain this certification in the process of offshore wind power international certification," says Cheng-Ho, Liao, Chairman of Ming Rong Yuan. "We are committed to the development of the country's key infrastructure, and hope to provide assurance for our partners, upstream through downstream, becoming a new force in the national green energy industry."
