Daniel Slotta
Research expert covering Greater China
Renewable energy industry in Taiwan - statistics & facts
Taiwan, once dubbed the “garbage island” due to the waste management crisis it faced in 1994, has succeeded to transform into a prominent actor in recycling and sustainable management on the international stage. It is a major advocator of the renewable energy sector and invests a great deal in the research and development of alternative energy solutions.
Electricity generation
The overall generation of electricity in Taiwan increased over the span of ten years between 2010 and 2020. As an economy with limited natural resources, Taiwan majorly relies on importing its energy supply from trade partners such as China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Qatar. Most of the electricity is produced using fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas and a small percentage of nuclear power, although more obsolete fossil fuel production units are being replaced and power generation from nuclear facilities is being reduced. Almost 20 percent of the energy supply is derived from renewable sources with total production of green energy amounting to nearly 13.5 terawatt-hours as of 2020.Wind power
As of 2020, Taiwan’s onshore wind energy production totaled a little over 2,100 gigawatt hours (GWh) which mirrored the rising trend in the annual electricity generation from wind power. The island also plans on expanding its wind energy sector to offshore facilities with the aid of European partners who are leaders in the offshore wind harnessing business. The country’s topography makes for conducive conditions to establish advanced offshore wind energy production systems.Hydropower
In comparison to wind energy production, hydropower projects produced higher rates of electricity per annum. However, the electricity generation from hydropower took a dip since the peak in 2016 with electricity valued at 16 billion New Taiwan dollars. But Taiwan has plans of going beyond just wind and hydropower projects.Solar power
Taiwan is renowned for its groundbreaking technology used to produce very light solar panels and is the second-largest producer of photovoltaic cells. Production of solar energy in 2021 amounted to nearly 7.9 terawatt-hours, and Taiwan has been proactive in diversifying its energy sources and relied on electricity production through cogeneration. Cogeneration refers to the use of a power station to produce both electricity as well as useful heat simultaneously. The production of bioenergy grossed under two terawatt-hours in recent years.
