A Taiwan-US supply chain partnership forum held in Taipei alongside the US Business Day on September 19 saw delegations of government and corporate representatives from both sides exploring investment and cooperation opportunities in the fields of cybersecurity, 5G communication and electric vehicles. Key American delegates included Laurie Locascio, director of the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and concurrently the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology, as well as Arizona governor Katie Hobbs and New Mexico governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
The Russo-Ukrainian War, extending beyond a year and a half, has resulted in a scarcity of natural gas supply, plunging several nations into an energy crisis. Experts highlight that due to geopolitical factors, there is a fundamental transformation in the global energy supply and demand landscape. This shift redirects the energy transition focus from achieving net-zero emissions to prioritizing security aspects.
The energy storage sector can be categorized into front-the-meter (FTM) and behind-the-meter (BTM). FTM systems require large-scale energy storage setups, while BTM systems primarily focus on medium and small-scale solutions, with lithium-ion batteries remaining the preferred choice for chemical energy storage. In Taiwan, the energy storage market has cooled off due to unclear policies, but in the US and Japan, the markets are flourishing. This has spurred Taiwanese companies to actively seek international opportunities.
In response to the growing trend towards achieving net-zero carbon emissions, carbon fiber materials and their associated composite counterparts are renowned for their remarkable strength and flexibility. Moreover, they contribute to weight reduction, which, in turn, enhances fuel efficiency, reduces battery consumption, and plays a pivotal role in mitigating carbon dioxide emissions. Among these materials, thermoplastic composite materials offer a multitude of advantages, including recyclability, reusability, adaptability in processing and shaping, reduced energy consumption during production, and expedited manufacturing processes. These attributes are in perfect alignment with the prevailing trends of energy conservation and carbon reduction, making them a focal point for substantial investment, particularly in pioneering applications within aerospace defense, wind power, transportation, and consumer electronics.
In the past few years, Taiwan Power Company's (Taipower) deployment of automatic frequency control (AFC) for energy storage has paved the way for the energy storage systems market in Taiwan. However, the demand for energy storage system installations seeking grid integration approval consistently surpasses the 2025 target capacity, triggering continuous alarms about market overheating.
Roughly 90% of the world's goods are transported via maritime routes, contributing to approximately 3% of global carbon emissions. In light of the global commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the maritime industry faces mounting pressure to curtail emissions. To address this, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has devised a strategy aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from both existing and new vessels. This strategy sets forth a target of a 40% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and a more ambitious 70% reduction by 2050, using 2008 as the baseline year.
Apple is announcing that its Apple Watch 9 is the first to achieve carbon neutrality. Supply chain sources pointed out that it has been collaborating with customers to promote carbon neutrality for at least five years. Apart from continuing to promote net-zero carbon emission projects, supply chains are also participating in customers' "green investments." This commitment involves not only financial contributions but also active participation, and isn't just for customer orders; it's also for long-term corporate sustainability.
The European Commission (EC) recently voiced their support for the anti-subsidy probe into Chinese EVs. Intense domestic price competition has propelled Chinese brands to seek overseas markets. Industry sources point out that the probe is likely due to the fact that mainstream car makers in the European Union (EU) are lagging behind Chinese brands in the EV transition and could find it hard to compete with them.
In pursuit of the 2050 net-zero carbon emissions target, energy conservation has emerged as a prominent trend. Nevertheless, the current industry-standard energy measurement meters come at a high cost. The Green Energy and Environment Research Laboratories of Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) have introduced a breakthrough solution—an AI powered tab sensor.
Entomal Biotech is bringing a new, sustainable way of processing food waste to the table. It has come up with an idea of circling food waste from the kitchen, home, to the dump and then back to animals or, ultimately in the future, human's stomach.
Okinawa-based startup Watasumi is utilizing its biological technological expertise to convert organic carbon from waste water into energy through bioelectrochemical systems (BES). The company now targets small- and medium-sized food and drink industries around Japan, hoping to treat waste water more sustainably by leasing to clients the fully self-sustained compact module reactor that can also serve as an additional power source.
Following the initial breakthrough that aided in the advancement of cost-effective and high-performance hydrogen technology, additional innovative accomplishments were made in August 2023. A team of researchers hailing from Taiwan's National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRCC), in collaboration with Yang Ming Chiao Tung University and Germany's Max Planck Institutes, achieved a groundbreaking milestone. Their partnership with American academics led to a remarkable 37-fold increase in hydrogen production rates, with their findings subsequently published in Science Magazine.
Given the global trend towards net-zero emissions and the ongoing implementation of carbon tax mechanisms, how to more effectively utilize power has become one of the most critical issues for industries. In this regard, US-based intelligent power management specialist Eaton Corp provides a range of group power management solutions to help businesses maintain power quality, accurately capture data, formulate energy policies, and optimize power efficiency. It is on track to expand production capacity in Taiwan to serve more customers.
Taiwan has witnessed rapid growth in its renewable energy sector. To bolster the adoption of clean energy, the government is actively promoting a free-market framework for green energy trading. With regard to global initiatives aimed at achieving net-zero emissions and meeting RE100 supply chain requirements, various industries are allocating resources to participate in the green energy market. PwC highlights that the volume of green energy traded in Taiwan surged from 700 million kWhs in 2021 to 1.1 billion kWh in 2022, marking a remarkable 60% annual growth. With the ongoing expansion of renewable energy sources, future energy management is poised to become a major focal point for industries.
In an effort to boost the growth of Taiwan's hydrogen energy industry, the Taiwan Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Partnership (THFCP) recently collaborated with the Slovak National Hydrogen Association (NVAS) to host a seminar aimed at exploring international cooperation opportunities within the hydrogen energy sector.
The South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE) has allocated a budget of KRW11.22 trillion (approximately US$84.9 billion) for the year 2024. Based on President Yoon Suk-yeol's principle of "sharing wealth among all," while the research and development budget has decreased, there are budget increases in areas such as nurturing advanced industries like semiconductors, revitalizing the nuclear energy ecosystem, and enhancing export momentum.
India's cabinet has approved a plan to incentivize battery storage projects, as the South Asian country is pursuing carbon reduction and encouraging EV adoption.
Digging up the metals that go into power grids and electric cars is crucial to the energy transition. While the mining industry has plenty of reserves to tap, it faces a worrying shortage of young workers needed to get materials out of the ground.
The US Department of Energy said on August 31 that it will offer a US$15.5 billion package of funding and loans to help companies retrofit existing automotive manufacturing facilities to produce EVs.
While the renewable energy revolution is gaining momentum, third-generation wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductors such as silicon carbide (SiC) continue to see rising penetration in solar power, electrical vehicle infrastructure and energy storage applications, promising a new balance in terms of efficiency, density, cost and reliability.
In light of the continuous rise in the number of EVs in Taiwan, the Executive Yuan has granted approval to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications' (MOTC) proposition for a scheme dedicated to setting up public charging stations.
The emergence of third-generation perovskite solar cells (PSC), which have recently transitioned from various national laboratories, raises questions about their co-development alongside mainstream silicon-based (Si) solar cells.
Recent reports from the cross-strait supply chain indicate that a major Chinese new energy vehicle manufacturer had ambitious plans early this year to make significant inroads into the upstream SiC compound semiconductor material-supplying sector. The plan involved a wide array of processes in the upstream supply chain.
Solar cell and PV module maker TSEC on August 28 announced to have obtained NT$3 billion (US$93.3 million) worth of orders for PV modules that will be established on fish farms in Taiwan and will complete the orders' delivery before the end of the third quarter.
Lai Ju Chen, chairman of the Taiwan Perovskite Research and Industry Association (TPRIA), said Taiwan has great potential in developing the third-generation perovskite solar cells (PSC). Taiwan holds advantages in the semiconductor, photovoltaics, and panel industries and its expertise is increasingly demanded due to geopolitical factors.
