Taipei Fubon Bank hosted a workshop in Kaohsiung’s Gangshan District for steel producers and fastener manufacturers seeking to comply with the government’s net-zero carbon regulations.
The workshop invited industry experts, academics, and more than 100 industry professionals to share their views on carbon reduction, per a press release.
According to a pre-workshop survey, half of the companies registering for the workshop have conducted carbon inventories, and more than 60% plan to enact carbon reduction plans within the year.
Specific carbon reduction actions include replacing energy-consuming equipment, introducing energy management systems, tracking and managing carbon emissions, and improving production processes.
Additionally, more than half of the companies believe the cost of energy-saving or carbon-reducing equipment is too high. Financial considerations are the main obstacle preventing their efforts to promote carbon reduction.
Hu Guo-hsin (胡國信), chief of the Metal Industries Research & Development Center, said the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism has recently simplified the calculation of carbon emissions from fasteners, reducing the pressure on companies to reduce carbon emissions.
In addition, the threshold for collecting carbon fees has also been lowered year by year.
MIRDC project manager Chen Po-chen (陳柏臣) said 70-80% of the carbon emissions of fasteners come from wire rods. Therefore, reducing the use of wire rods through smart manufacturing can be the key to continuously reducing carbon emissions.
In the workshop, MIRDC presented an analysis of steel waste recovery technology and smart manufacturing technology for the fastener industry. Presenting this information will help the industry improve process optimization.
Shuenn Chang Fa Enterprise (舜倡發) is Taiwan's top fastener manufacturer, producing high-value-added screw fasteners for more than 30 countries. In recent years, it has saved 1% of electricity and reduced fossil fuel usage annually.
Chu Chun-te (朱俊德), special assistant to the chair of Shuenn Chang Fa, said raw materials account for 66-85% of carbon emissions, and electricity accounts for 12-31%. While it is difficult for manufacturers to change raw materials, there is an opportunity to adjust electricity to achieve carbon reduction.
For this reason, Sheunn Chang Fa continually upgrades to energy-saving machines and equipment, switching to electric equipment to reduce dependence on oil. As of 2024, the cumulative annual electricity saving will exceed 226,000 kWh, reducing carbon emissions by about 113 metric tons.
In addition, Up Innovation Technology (超等創新) Associate Manager Luo Yue-feng (羅月鳳) gave a presentation on utilizing Negative Emissions Technologies (NET) to achieve zero waste, enhance sustainability, and reduce costs in wastewater treatment.
Taipei Fubon Bank Executive Vice President Sheila Chuang (莊慧玫) said that Taiwan is the world's third-largest fastener exporter, with an export value of NT$1.4 trillion (US$4.37 billion) and 1,600 manufacturers. However, as international competition intensifies, unit prices have decreased, with costs such as raw materials, electricity, transportation, and wages continuing to increase, posing a severe test to the survival of many companies.
Therefore, Taipei Fubon Bank believes that a sustainable industry transformation is needed to reduce production costs, increase the added value of products, and lower carbon emissions.
Taipei Fubon Bank is committed to assisting all SMEs in their net-zero carbon emission transformation through workshops and innovative green finance products and services. In the future, Taipei Fubon Bank will continue hosting net-zero carbon emissions workshops and will invite industry experts to share their experiences in sustainable operations, supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
