The signing of the MoU comes as a response to the Taiwanese government’s energy transformation policy and the call to promote the research and development of green energy and carbon reduction technologies.
CNPC Taiwan stated that it has been actively looking for groups to cooperate with to work towards the national energy transformation policy. In addition to conducting geothermal exploration with Academia Sinica in Yilan, the three parties had also discussed together at the “Datun Mountain Geothermal Seminar” held by the National Central University earlier this year.
Academia Sinica is Taiwan’s highest academic research institution. It houses the Institute of Geosciences which has expertise on advanced geological, geochemical, and geophysical surveys, data, and analysis technologies. The National Central University has the School of Geosciences and the Carbon Sequestration and Geothermal Research Center, which has strong expertise in the field of geothermal energy, professional research capabilities, and extensive experience in exploration.
Taiwan is one of the emerging markets for geothermal in Asia and has made excellent progress in recent years with small-scale geothermal power production in Qingshui and Sihuangziping. The government had recently introduced new regulations that provide definitive guidelines for various aspects of geothermal exploration, creating a clearer path to geothermal project development.