TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Sugar on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding with the US Grains & BioProducts Council to establish a platform for bioethanol technology exchange and promotion.
The agreement, aimed at supporting the global energy transition and net-zero goals, seeks to expand diversified green energy development and help Taiwan advance its net-zero strategy. Taiwan Sugar Chair Wu Ming-chang (吳明昌) and USGBC Global Vice President Cary Sifferath signed the MOU, witnessed by Steve Burgoon of the American Institute in Taiwan, per a press release.
Wu said the agreement marks another milestone in Taiwan-US green energy cooperation and reflects the company’s commitment to aligning with national net-zero policies by connecting with international biofuel technologies. It also underscores efforts to promote a circular economy and expand green energy development.
The company said bioethanol is closely tied to the future development of sustainable aviation fuel, playing a key role in reducing carbon emissions in the transportation sector, strengthening alternative fuel development, and enhancing the resilience of Taiwan’s green supply chain.
According to Taiwan Sugar, Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration has been promoting SAF pilot programs, targeting a goal of at least 5% SAF usage in international flights by 2030. Bioethanol is expected to play a role in this development pathway, per UDN.
Wu said Taiwan Sugar is exploring how to leverage its resources to support national policy. He noted that USGBC brings extensive international experience in promoting bioethanol, ethanol gasoline, and SAF and expressed hope that the partnership will generate practical momentum for Taiwan’s alternative fuel development.
Huang Yi-ren (黃怡仁), director of the Taiwan Sugar Research Institute, said sugarcane alone cannot meet the capacity required for bioethanol production. The first phase of cooperation will focus on assessing suitable raw material sources and integrating relevant technologies, with results expected by the second quarter of next year.
Huang added that policy direction, industry supply chains, and market readiness will also be evaluated to gradually advance the initiative.
USGBC said bioethanol offers high flexibility in transportation fuel applications, with strong potential across land, sea, and air sectors. In addition to importing cost-effective ethanol from the US to stabilize supply and reduce fuel costs, the group said Taiwan could also develop domestic production capacity to strengthen energy resilience, per UDN.
Sifferath said he hopes the partnership will promote the application and development of bioethanol in Taiwan’s transportation sector through cooperation in technology, standards, and industrial planning, contributing to net-zero and energy security goals.
USGBC Taiwan representative Lu Chih-ching (盧智卿) said the agreement builds on a previous MOU signed with CPC Corporation Taiwan in 2024, further laying the foundation for developing domestically produced bioethanol in Taiwan. Lu said the MOU will facilitate technical exchanges, introduce stable raw material sources, strengthen Taiwan’s energy resilience, and accelerate progress toward net-zero sustainability.
