A forum on geothermal exploration kicked off Dec. 17 in Taipei City to showcase the results of related public sector projects, underscoring the government’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Organized by the Geological Survey and Mining Management Agency under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the two-day event involved more than 400 academics, officials and private sector representatives. It featured 14 panel discussions on topics spanning the opportunities and challenges of geothermal development in Taiwan, the status of ongoing exploration projects across the country, and related infrastructure planning and development.
Participants identified several high potential geothermal sites around the country. These include the Datun Mountain volcanic area in Taipei and New Taipei City’s Yangmingshan National Park, Ruisui Township in the eastern county of Hualien, Yanping Township in the southeastern county of Taitung, and Ren’ai Township in the central county of Nantou.
Another highlight of the event was the presentation of a 3-meter-long granite cut from a continuous core measuring more than 2,000 meters in Taitung’s Haiduan Township. The sample was obtained during a highly challenging eight-month joint exploration project by the GSMMA, Hsinchu County-based Industrial Technology Research Institute and an engineering service provider from Türkiye’s Ortadoğu Group.
During the second day of the event, participants were given a tour of an exploration site and geothermal power plant in Yangmingshan, the organizer said. (SFC-E)
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