Solar and wind power generation reached a record high in Taiwan for 2017, reflecting the effectiveness of government policies aimed at transforming the nation into a nuclear-free homeland.
According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs April 16, solar power climbed 49.4 percent year on year to 1.69 billion kilowatt-hours, while wind power surged 17.1 percent to 1.71 billion kWh.
Expanding renewable energy production is a top priority for the government given Taiwan’s lack of fossil fuel resources, the MOEA said, adding that public-private sector efforts helped achieve solar and wind power growth of an average 94.4 percent and 14.5 percent, respectively, over the past decade.
Solar and wind power accounted for a greater share of Taiwan’s renewable energy mix in 2017. The former was 13.6 percent, up from 8.9 percent the year before, with the latter, 13.7 percent, up from 11.4 percent. Hydropower remained the top source at 43.5 percent, followed by waste materials at 27.7 percent.
This positive trend should continue in 2018, the MOEA said, citing the planned installment of 1.2 gigawatts in additional solar power capacity, up 149.4 percent year on year.
MOEA Bureau of Energy statistics reveal that in 2017, 46.8 percent of Taiwan’s energy was generated from coal, 34.7 percent from natural gas, 8.3 percent from nuclear power and 4.5 percent from renewable sources. By 2025, the government aims to change these numbers to 50 percent for natural gas, 30 percent for coal and 20 percent for renewable sources.
According to the MOEA, the 20 percent target will be reached through increasing the respective installed capacities for solar and wind power to 20 GW and 4.2 GW by 2025. (SFC-E)
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