Yesterday (30), the Academia Sinica released the "Taiwan Net Zero Technology R&D Policy Proposal." Director Liao Junzhi stated that the analysis of net zero emission technology from the perspective of scientific research is aimed at "creating sufficient zero-carbon electricity." The proposal lists several high-risk and high-benefit technologies that should be "promoted as quickly as possible," including decarbonized hydrogen combustion, geothermal energy, ocean energy, high-efficiency solar photovoltaic systems, and biomass carbon sinks. It is hoped that by implementing net zero technology, Taiwan's energy and industrial transformation will be driven, leading to net zero by 2050.
Power generation accounts for 48% of carbon emissions. Zero-carbon electricity is the key to net zero emissions.
The Academia Sinica held a press conference yesterday (30th) to release the "Taiwan Net Zero Technology R&D Policy Proposal". Chen Yugao, director of the Center for Environmental Change Research, explained that the proposal is centered on technology and spans six major themes, including energy carbon reduction, manufacturing carbon reduction, and carbon sinks. While carrying out technological research and development, it should also take into account supporting measures from economic and social sciences, including policy incentives, legal environment, and social communication.
The proposal states that net-zero technology research and development must prioritize carbon reduction benefits, prioritize key carbon-emitting sectors, emphasize R&D speed and deployment scale, and take into account the diversity, locality, and decentralization of energy sources. Currently, over 90% of Taiwan's greenhouse gas emissions come from the energy sector, with power generation accounting for over 48%. With electricity supply being the primary source of future energy use, generating sufficient zero-carbon electricity is crucial to a net-zero strategy.
Regarding the technological research and development options for zero-carbon electricity, the proposal objectively analyzes the technological advantages, existing limitations and future challenges, and discusses possible current actions in four levels: "expedited promotion," "expanded promotion," "continuous promotion," and "close tracking," based on risk-benefit and technological development.
Five major technologies, including decarbonized hydrogen and geothermal energy, are being rapidly promoted as new zero-carbon electricity options.
Among the technologies listed as "urgently promoted," despite high risk, they could bring significant net-zero benefits if successful. They are currently not widely promoted due to their immaturity. These include decarbonized hydrogen combustion, geothermal energy, ocean energy, high-efficiency solar photovoltaic systems, and biomass carbon sinks.
Chen Yu-gao explained that decarbonized hydrogen combustion technology involves cracking methane (CH4) into hydrogen (H2) and solid carbon (C). The hydrogen can be used directly for power generation, generating low-carbon (or even zero-carbon) baseload electricity, while the solid carbon can be used as an industrial feedstock, building material, or backup energy source. However, the natural gas used as the raw material for this technology is not yet a green energy source and relies on imports. Furthermore, further technical measures are required to reduce methane emissions from natural gas production, a challenge that remains to be overcome.
However, he also mentioned that the EU recently passed a resolution to temporarily classify "low-carbon natural gas power generation" as sustainable before 2035. If decarbonized hydrogen technology can continue to reduce carbon emissions, it may become a source of "quasi-green electricity", helping to alleviate the severe shortage of green electricity in my country.
The proposal also states that Taiwan should strengthen exploration and actively develop deep geothermal resources. Chen Yu-kao explained that because Taiwan is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a large amount of geothermal energy is self-generated and sustainable. Furthermore, the potential for geothermal power generation is approximately 1GW in shallow areas and over 30GW in deep areas. This potential can be self-generated, renewable, and provide a significant amount of baseload electricity.
However, the current investment risk of geothermal drilling in its early stages is high, and environmental impacts and improved social communication must be considered. In the future, it will also be necessary to continue to develop sophisticated mapping and drilling technologies, and to formulate geothermal-specific laws to strengthen incentives.
The Kuroshio Current is fast and stable. Academia Sinica: Ocean current power generation and ocean temperature difference power generation have great potential.
Regarding ocean energy, Chen Yu-kao explained that the Kuroshio Current off Taiwan's east coast flows rapidly and steadily, creating an area with excellent potential for ocean current power generation and ocean thermal power generation. Similar to geothermal energy, this not only provides self-generated renewable energy but also a significant source of baseload electricity. However, site selection and marine engineering remain challenges, and turbine generator mounting and cable transmission technologies remain underdeveloped.
Chen Yu-gao suggested that expedited hydrological and geological surveys and explorations should be conducted in areas with potential for ocean energy, with investment in the research and development and construction of ocean current generators. Furthermore, marine engineering technology should be developed to accelerate the development of ocean current power generation and its connection to land-based power grids. Furthermore, active exploration of suitable sites along the East Coast should be conducted to promote ocean thermal power generation and increase the utilization of the ocean's own energy.
Solar photovoltaic technology is currently relatively mature. The proposal points out that due to the limited land and dense population in Taiwan, the technical goal should be to improve the power generation efficiency per unit area, "trading technology for land", and actively develop the next generation of high-efficiency and low-cost photovoltaic modules (efficiency of approximately 30%) to improve the photovoltaic conversion efficiency per unit cost and reduce the pressure on land demand.
The fifth area is biomass carbon sinks. "Simply put, it's photosynthetic plants," Chen Yugao explained. This can be primarily used on land unsuitable for cultivation or fallow land to grow short-term biomass crops. Thermal cracking technology is used to generate "biohydrogen" for electricity generation. The remaining carbon is solid biochar, which is less likely to return to the atmosphere.
However, challenges that must be overcome include Taiwan's limited land area, fragmented arable land, and the difficulty in concentrating plant biomass resources. Technologies for hydrogen production through biomass cracking and biochemical production are still underdeveloped. Chen Yu-gao suggests that in addition to planned thinning of Taiwan's forests to increase domestic timber production and help expand carbon sinks and biomass resources, investment should also be made in the research and development of biotechnology and bio-based processing technologies to enhance carbon source utilization and produce biochemicals and energy products, such as biofuels and aviation fuel.
Academia Sinica: Technology gives us hope, but it does not mean we should waste it.
Among the "expanded promotion" items is "social and economic measures." Chen Yugao stated that while net-zero technology is key to the transition, economic and social factors are even more indispensable. Electricity pricing formulas should be redesigned to rationalize prices, carbon taxes and fees should be promoted and implemented as soon as possible, and mechanisms for the effective use and allocation of funds should be improved to foster the concept of "paying for carbon emissions." Regarding social measures, public-private partnerships should be promoted, and mechanisms for citizen participation, social communication, and a just transition should be established.
The Academia Sinica estimates that if the electrification of existing direct combustion energy reaches 50% to 90%, the electricity demand will be 390 billion to 490 billion kWh. Combined with the 2.5% electricity growth rate, the electricity demand will be about 587.6 billion kWh. It is necessary to actively increase the capacity of wind power generation and solar photovoltaic installations, and also actively curb electricity demand.
Chen Yugao also stated that, optimistically, by 2050, electricity will be primarily generated from three sources: decarbonized hydrogen fuel cells (27%), wind and solar power (39%), and geothermal, ocean, and hydropower (34%). Preliminary estimates suggest this could provide 586.5 billion kilowatt-hours of carbon-free electricity. However, he emphasized, "Technology gives us hope, but it doesn't mean we should waste it."
Source: Environmental Information Center (https://e-info.org.tw/node/235586)
