TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Academia Sinica signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Monday (March 25) with domestic shipbuilder CSBC Taiwan to develop and deploy a 100-kilowatt (kW) ocean current turbine.
At the signing ceremony, Academia Sinica President James C. Liao (廖俊智) said the key to global net-zero emissions lies in the research and development of innovative technologies. Liao said the turbine it is developing aims to harness the Kuroshio Current in eastern Taiwan, the second largest ocean current in the world, per UDN.
Liao said the Kuroshio Current is close to the coast and has a strong current and high stability, creating considerable potential for ocean current energy conversion. Furthermore, ocean currents can generate electricity throughout the year and do not emit greenhouse gases or pollutants, making it a new hope for baseload power generation.
Taiwan has invested in ocean energy power generation technology over the past decade, according to Liao, but has encountered challenges in site selection and maritime engineering. Liao said industry partnerships could overcome these challenges, including installing ocean current generators and cable transmission.
Two years ago, Academia Sinica released the "Net Zero Technology R&D Policy Proposal," recommending government promotion of marine energy as soon as possible. Since releasing the report, Academia Sinica surveyed waters off the east coast, precisely observing data associated with the Kuroshio Current, and identified suitable seabed geological conditions off the coast of Taitung and Chenggong.
At the same time, Academia Sinica has worked to develop a 100-watt ocean current turbine that is resistant to corrosion and pressure, with field testing expected later this year. With the new MOU, it now plans closer cooperation with CSBC Taiwan for maintenance and maritime engineering technology to help Taiwan progress towards the goal of net-zero emissions.
CSBC Taiwan Chair Cheng Wen-lon (鄭文隆) said that demand for carbon reduction in the shipping industry led his company to actively invest in green energy research and development in recent years, including the design and construction of ocean research vessels, environmentally friendly ships, energy-saving technologies, and energy storage systems.
