Economy

Taiwan, Australia to ink green energy MOU

• Publication Date：08/31/2010
• Source： Taiwan Today

Taiwan and Australia signed a memorandum of understanding Aug. 31 to establish more extensive bilateral cooperation on promoting green energy industries and technologies.

The MOU, inked during the16th Taiwan-Australia Energy and Minerals Trade, Investment and Cooperation Consultations, is the first of its kind between the two sides. The meeting was held in Taichung City, central Taiwan Aug. 30-31.

Besides traditional energy and mining supply and demand issues, other topics discussed at this year’s gathering include energy efficiency, reusable energies and emissions control, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Bureau of Energy.

Pointing out that Taiwan’s dependence on energy imports is high and that Australia is one of the globe’s major suppliers of energy raw materials, the Bureau of Energy said the opportunities for cooperation between the two sides are rife.

It noted the two sides held the first annual gathering in Canberra, Australia in December 1993 as an avenue for increasing mutual understanding of their respective energy and mining industry policies and for expanding joint development, trade and investment in the sector.

Australia has since become one of Taiwan’s major suppliers in the energy and mining sector, supplying nearly 50 percent of the island’s coal imports, or more than 25 million tons annually. Taiwan also imports aluminum, iron and copper from down under.

The bureau said the MOU wass signed in response to global climate change and the need to establish a low-carbon economy. Officials expressed the hope that through the MOU Taiwan and Australia will further expand and deepen the scope of their cooperation.

Taiwan representatives attending the conference include officials from the Bureau of Energy and the Industrial Technology Research Institute, as well as executives from state-owned CPC Corp., Taiwan Power Co. and China Steel Corp. The Australian delegation includes representatives of firms in the energy and mining industry as well as officials from several government agencies, including the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism. (SB)