Debates over energy sources in Taiwan have centered on whether to embrace or reject the use of nuclear energy. In reality, nuclear energy has never accounted for a large portion of power consumption in Taiwan. The major source of power in Taiwan is actually thermal generation, which involves the burning of fossil fuels such as coal or natural gas. Both produce carbon dioxide.
Taiwan is an industrial and commercial country, with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co the largest of many businesses that export products to all parts of the globe. When it comes to carbon emissions per person, Taiwan is near the top of the global list. Even so, Taiwan, with a population of about 23 million, accounts for only 0.56 percent of global carbon emissions. Regardless of the measures that Taiwan might take to reduce carbon emissions, it would have a minimal impact on the rest of the world. Therefore, discussions about decreasing emissions have been mostly about the value judgments of individuals and businesses.
An entirely new challenge emerged recently, with the EU and many Western corporations setting the lofty goal of net zero carbon emissions in their supply chains. This is a drastic change, as what was previously just a question of values has now become a real economic problem. Now, no green energy means no orders, and no orders means no business.
This has led to a shift in some EU countries’ attitudes toward nuclear energy. Until green energy is fully adopted, nuclear energy can be used to temporarily bridge the gap, as it does not require the burning of fossil fuels. However, after Europe gets through this difficult transitional period, it would eventually return to its original position of opposing nuclear energy.
Taiwan is now vigorously developing green energy, with solar and wind energy having made considerable progress. It could also implement geothermal and marine energy. It could even adopt underground and aquifer thermal energy storage technology, which Japan is developing. Another idea is to collect the carbon dioxide produced from burning fossil fuels. Rather than releasing it into the atmosphere, it could be gathered using a method called carbon capture and deposited underground, known as carbon storage. However, simply storing the carbon has no economic benefit and poses the risk of leakage.
Taiwan’s economic strength is not only in semiconductor manufacturing. It has also been an important leader in the field of chemical engineering. Using chemical engineering, carbon dioxide can be chemically manipulated to create several other useful chemicals.
Additionally, the use of hydrogen is an important supplementary factor for green energy. Fuel cell vehicles can be used to make up for the lack of range in electric vehicles. The idea has also been raised to use hydrogen or ammonia as a replacement for ship fuel oil to decrease the carbon emissions of the shipping industry. The origin of hydrogen also falls within the domain of chemical engineering.
To simultaneously maintain the safety of Taiwan’s energy sources and satisfy the US and Europe’s requirements of decreasing supply-chain carbon emissions, Taiwan must earnestly address this important issue. This is why President William Lai (賴清德) established the National Climate Change Committee. Today, the Formosa Republican Association is to host a forum on energy and reaching net zero carbon emissions. Academics and experts are invited to the forum to join the discussion, with the goal of bringing all people together to find solutions to this important problem.
Tommy Lin is chairman of the Formosa Republican Association and director of the Taiwan United Nations Alliance.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
In an article published on this page on Tuesday, Kaohsiung-based journalist Julien Oeuillet wrote that “legions of people worldwide would care if a disaster occurred in South Korea or Japan, but the same people would not bat an eyelid if Taiwan disappeared.” That is quite a statement. We are constantly reading about the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), hailed in Taiwan as the nation’s “silicon shield” protecting it from hostile foreign forces such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and so crucial to the global supply chain for semiconductors that its loss would cost the global economy US$1
US President Donald Trump’s challenge to domestic American economic-political priorities, and abroad to the global balance of power, are not a threat to the security of Taiwan. Trump’s success can go far to contain the real threat — the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) surge to hegemony — while offering expanded defensive opportunities for Taiwan. In a stunning affirmation of the CCP policy of “forceful reunification,” an obscene euphemism for the invasion of Taiwan and the destruction of its democracy, on March 13, 2024, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) used Chinese social media platforms to show the first-time linkage of three new
Sasha B. Chhabra’s column (“Michelle Yeoh should no longer be welcome,” March 26, page 8) lamented an Instagram post by renowned actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) about her recent visit to “Taipei, China.” It is Chhabra’s opinion that, in response to parroting Beijing’s propaganda about the status of Taiwan, Yeoh should be banned from entering this nation and her films cut off from funding by government-backed agencies, as well as disqualified from competing in the Golden Horse Awards. She and other celebrities, he wrote, must be made to understand “that there are consequences for their actions if they become political pawns of