Academia Sinica and CSBC Corp, Taiwan yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation on marine energy technology development.
Academia Sinica is developing and manufacturing a 100 kilowatt (kW) ocean current turbine generator that it expects to test in waters off Taitung County later this year, Taiwan’s top research institution said.
The combination of its research capabilities and CSBC’s maritime engineering strengths would hopefully accelerate the testing and deployment process to capture the energy from the Kuroshio Current, which flows off Taitung County all year round, it added.
Photo courtesy of Academia Sinica
The current is the world’s second-largest ocean current, with a strong and stable flow that offers potential for generating energy, Academia Sinica president James Liao (廖俊智) said, adding that ocean currents can generate electricity throughout the year without fuel or emitting greenhouse gases and pollutants, and therefore have the potential to serve as a form of baseload power.
Taiwan has talked about exploring marine energy for many years, but progress has been halted due to difficulties in site selection, maritime engineering, turbine generator installation and cable transmission technologies, he said.
A site has finally been found off the coast of Chenggong Township (成功) in Taitung, and the institution has developed a 100kW current turbine generator with corrosion and pressure resistance characteristics equal to a submarine, Liao said.
As the largest shipbuilding company in Taiwan, CSBC is expected to contribute to the marine energy project through its skill in vessel building, maintenance and support for offshore wind power and related technologies, he added.
The company has engaged in green energy research and development, including the designing of oceanographic research vessels, environmentally friendly ships, smart energy and carbon reduction technologies, and energy storage systems, CSBC chairman Cheng Wen-lon (鄭文隆) said.
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