In the News

Taiwan to develop solar energy in South Pacific

• Publication Date：03/26/2010
• Source： China Times

President Ma Ying-jeou said March 25 during a visit to the Solomon Islands that Taiwan would help the South Pacific nation develop a solar power system.

During the announcement, both Ma and Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands Derek Sikua attended the unveiling ceremony of a plaque commemorating the solar-energy development plans.

“Taiwan will set up training and maintenance facilities for solar systems on the Solomon Islands,” Ma said. “A regional solar energy center will also be established here, and will be used as a gateway through which Taiwan can export solar energy technology to other South Pacific nations.”

These efforts will enable Taiwan’s allies in the region to reduce energy imports, cut expenditures in foreign currencies and reduce carbon emissions, the president pointed out, adding that Taiwan’s solar energy sector will also benefit as a result.

The prime minister proposed a solar energy promotion project with Taiwan in 2009 and placed orders with Motech Industries Inc. for solar power equipment, according to sources familiar with the issue.

In a move to assist Taiwan’s solar energy firms to make inroads into global markets and enhance the visibility of products made in Taiwan, the government offered US$60,000 to its staunch ally as financial aid for purchasing the equipment.

The decision was made after consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Photovoltaics Technology Center of the Industrial Technology and Research Institute, sources said.

According to Luke Chang, head of Motech’s power division, his company has been investing in the South Pacific for three years, and is gradually expanding its reach into the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau and the Republic of Kiribati.

The abundant sunshine of the South Pacific and foreign aid from around the world make the region an ideal location to develop solar energy, which can help solve problems of power shortage in the area, Chang pointed out.

So far Motech has sold two thousand sets of solar power systems to these areas, or only 1 percent of the estimated market share there. The potential of the South Pacific in this sector is immense, Chang said.

In related news, President Ma pointed out that the South Pacific is in need of vast amounts of aid and cooperation from the global community to combat the problem of rising sea levels.

“We can help nations in the South Pacific by participating in efforts to combat climate change. By expressing our desire to participate and by providing financial assistance, we will come to be embraced by the international community,” Ma said. (SFC-HZW)