TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Efforts are in full swing for geothermal energy prospecting in Taiwan as the government seeks to attain its objective of going carbon neutral by 2050.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has teamed up with 12 geoscience-related university departments to identify viable geothermal regions across the country, per CNA. A memorandum of cooperation was inked on Monday (Sept. 26) for the initiative, which will see eight locations explored by the end of next year.

According to MOEA’s Central Geological Survey, drilling has begun in Taipei’s Datun mountain range, Hualien’s Ruisui Township, and Taitung’s Hongye Village. Prospecting will be expanded to cover five of the six sites with geothermal potential, including Wulu, Guguan, Lushan, Dongpu, Guanziling, and Baolai, most of which boast hot spring resources.

The collaboration, involving the participation of the state-owned CPC Corporation and Taiwan Power Company, is expected to drive the development of geothermal power as the third major source of renewables for Taiwan, in addition to wind and solar energy, said Vice Minister of MOEA Tseng Wen-sheng (曾文生).

Taiwan has set a target of 20 megawatts (MW) installed capacity from geothermal energy by 2025, having reached 5 MW currently. Development of the largest geothermal power project in Taiwan, a plant in New Taipei, is scheduled to begin in 2023.

More information can be found at the website of the Geothermal Exploration System.