To accelerate growth of the green energy sector, in 2017 the Executive Yuan began promoting green energy infrastructure as a part of the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program, reinforcing the infrastructure and technical certification capabilities needed for the future of green energy. The plan hopes to create a demand-driven domestic market for energy, push growth and innovation in related industries, and transform Taiwan into a major center for green energy development in Asia.
Three main components
The program's three components balance the goals of energy security, environmental sustainability and the green economy, and are projected to attract NT$1.8 trillion (US$59.1 billion) of private investment by 2025.
■ Solar energy: Achieve the goal of installing 20 gigawatts (GW) of solar energy capacity by 2025 by promoting 8 GW capacity from rooftop systems, including on agricultural and industrial facilities, and both public and privately-owned buildings; generate the remaining 12 GW of solar energy capacity from ground-mounted panels, prioritizing areas where there exists a social consensus and there are no disputes over ecological and environmental impact, including regenerated unused public land, unproductive agricultural land and mixed-use land.
■ Wind power: To make Taiwan's wind farms internationally competitive, this component will construct the underwater foundations and heavy cargo piers needed for wind power development. The target for wind power is to install 6.7 GW of total capacity (1.2 GW from land-based systems and 5.5 GW from offshore systems) by 2025.
■ Shalun Smart Green Energy Science City: Create an innovative green-energy industrial ecosystem that helps achieve the goal of net-zero carbon emissions. The science park aims to serve as a demonstration site for the verification and trial mass production of green energy technology, as well as an industrial chain hub and display window, to propel forward the development of Taiwan's green energy sector.