After coming under pressure from legislators, Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) yesterday apologized for the remarks he made on Tuesday that Taiwan is considering setting up renewable power plants in neighboring nations and transporting the electricity back to Taiwan via ships or submarine cables to meet the green power needs of Taiwanese manufacturers.
When questioned about his proposal, Kuo said that it is only in the discussion stage and that the ministry has not drawn up concrete plans, and apologized to legislators.
His remarks were perceived as unrealistic and not well thought-out, and were criticized by opposition legislators as stoking controversy and provoking the wrong reaction in society.
Photo: CNA
Kuo said experts had raised the idea at a meeting of Indo-Pacific Strategic Thinktank in Taipei, and the proposal had been shared and deliberated at a forum, but admitted that the government has no concrete plans.
After further questioning, Kuo promised to present the result of a feasibility study report on the idea within six months.
Kuo had been quoted as saying that Taiwan could build renewable power plants in the Philippines, and other neighboring nations such as Japan and Singapore, and then transport the power back to Taiwan via ships or submarine cables.
He said the technology sector and other industries would need an increasing amount of electricity, but that local governments and residents frequently differ in opinion about constructing new power plants, therefore his ministry has to find a way to meet the nation’s industrial development and carbon reduction goals, as well as the higher demand for sustainable green energy to sustain Taiwan’s economic growth.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Tai-hua (林岱樺) said that constructing submarine cables from Taiwan proper to Penghu had taken 13 years and cost NT$16 billion (US$497.3 million).
“The laying of cables to the Philippines would be five times that length and the expense could be more than several thousands of billions of NT dollars,” Lin said.
“Also the Bashi Channel that lies between Taiwan and the Philippines is 2,000m to 3,000m deep and it has undersea canyons which would make construction very difficult,” Lin said, castigating Kuo for speaking about the plan without doing a proper assessment.
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