Taiwan committed to 20 percent renewable energy target: VP

2016/10/14

The government is committed to achieving its target of generating 20 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable sources by 2025 as part of efforts to transition to a nuclear-free homeland and foster the green energy sector, according to Vice President Chen Chien-jen Oct. 12.

To achieve its target, the government plans to invest NT$1.2 trillion (US$38 billion) in increasing the nation’s solar power capacity to 20 gigawatts, or 250 billion kilowatt-hours, by that year, Chen said at the opening of the annual Taiwan International Photovoltaic Exhibition (PV Taiwan) in Taipei City.

PV Taiwan is one of the largest photovoltaic industry trade shows in Asia. Running until Oct. 14, this year’s edition features 131 local and international companies at 392 booths, with more than 1,700 visitors attending the opening day of the event.

“Moving toward to a nuclear-free country is a key motivation for developing Taiwan’s green energy industry, but it is not the only one,” the vice president said. “Another crucial factor is that green energy is an emerging sector with the potential to generate major business opportunities for the nation.”

Green energy is among five innovative industries targeted for strategic promotion under a comprehensive industrial restructuring program launched by the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen. The four others are biotech and pharmaceuticals, national defense, smart machinery, and the Internet of Things and other smart technologies.

Chen stressed that Taiwan, a leading global producer of devices such as LED lighting and solar panels, is well-positioned to serve as an international research hub in this area. “If we can pool our resources and focus on bolstering the industry, the nation could become a center of green energy innovation and R&D in the Asia-Pacific region.”

Another goal of the renewable energy program is to boost Taiwan’s energy self-sufficiency rate, which is currently just 3 percent, the vice president said. This would enable the nation to reduce the almost NT$2 trillion it spends on importing energy annually, he added.

According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan generates 4 percent of its power from renewable resources such as hydroelectric, solar and wind, with the overall capacity of solar and onshore wind power facilities standing at 1 gigawatt and 671 megawatts, respectively. In addition to establishing new solar power plants, the government is working to boost the nation’s renewable energy resources by building offshore wind turbines off the island’s western coast.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=248640&ctNode=2194&mp=9)