Setting the stage for Taiwan’s geothermal sector at the TIGC 2024
The 2024 Taiwan International Geothermal Conference (source: ThinkGeoEnergy)
Carlo Cariaga
22 Feb 2024
Crafting supporting policies and partnering with global industry players were among the highlights of the 2024 Taiwan International Geothermal Conference.
The 2nd Taiwan International Geothermal Conference was held 20-21 February 2024 at the premises of the Taiwan CPC Corporation in Taipei, Taiwan. Hosted by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, TIGC 2024 was a success with over 600 participants, providing a stage to highlight Taiwan’s efforts to build a geothermal power sector through cutting-edge technology, global partnerships, and supportive policies.
The event was also live-streamed and the recording can be accessed via this link.
During the opening of the event, Deputy Economy Minister Tseng Wen-sheng emphasized that geothermal energy is an essential component of the nation’s Net Zero 2050 goals. The Minister also stated Taiwan’s ambitious goals of building 20 MW of installed geothermal power capacity by 2025 and scaling this up to 200 MW by 2030 and 2 GW by 2040.
Building towards this goal, there are currently 24 geothermal projects in operation or under development across Taiwan, mainly in the Datunshan District, Qingshui and Renze in Yilan, Ruisui in Hualien, and Hongye in Taitung.
Crafting policy to support geothermal development
The Taiwanese Government recognizes the critical role of policies in helping to accelerate geothermal growth. In a recorded message, Premier Chen Chien-Jen described amendments made last year to the Renewable Energy Development Law to streamline application procedures. This commitment to expedite the exploration of geothermal resources is central to Taiwan’s strategy, aimed at minimizing bureaucratic hurdles and maximizing efficiency in project execution.
Tseng Wen-sheng also discussed the efforts of the Ministry of Economic Affairs to actively promote issues such as land use compensation for geothermal projects during the new session of the Legislative Yuan. Land use in Taiwan is highly intensive, which makes effective land management very important.
Lin Wenxin, head of the Energy Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, however said that there are still development restrictions on land acquisition, and these will have to be addressed by amendments in the next legislative session. The Renewable Energy Development Law have been discussed in inter-ministerial meetings but is yet to reach a consensus.
Highlighting the Sihuangziping power plant
The 2024 TIGC culminated with a site visit to the 1-MW Sihuangziping pilot geothermal power plant in New Taipei City. The facility is operated by Fabulous Power Co. with the power plant supplied by Ormat Technologies Inc. Work is currently underway for a 4-MW capacity expansion at Sihuangiziping with a target COD by 2025 or 2026. The project is part of a larger “Jinshan Liuhuangziping Geothermal Demonstration Zone” with further plans for 4 MW at Liuhuangziping and 4.2 MW at Genziping.
Three parallel workshops enriched the knowledge of the attendees of the 2024 TIGC. Featuring experts from industry players SLB, Orcan Energy, Baker Hughes, Turboden, MB Century, and Black Reiver Consulting, as well as research institutes like the University of Auckland and LBNL, attendees learned about various aspects of geothermal project development including drilling, exploration, reservoir modeling, and engineering technologies.
This year’s event builds up on last year’s inaugural TIGC. With more attendees and speakers from various industry sectors and countries, the success of the TIGC 2024 bodes well for the growth of Taiwan’s geothermal sector.
Source: Noticias de Taiwan and CNA
