TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan's former Interior Minister Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) joined an online panel discussion on Wednesday held by the Institute for Indo-Pacific Security with India and the Philippines to discuss potential cooperation, per CNA.
Lin said energy diversity is crucial to reduce reliance on imported liquid gas and coal. Lin added that 15% of Taiwan's electricity is now generated by renewable energy installations such as solar panels, which have been built across schools and now households.
On supply chains, Lin said India is producing more solar power modules, cells, and panels and exporting them elsewhere. He added that India would be an alternative partner in a red-free supply chain.
For trilateral cooperation, Lin said that Taiwan currently has more than 170,000 workers from the Philippines, with a significant number of them employed in semiconductor manufacturing. He noted that Taiwan is already working closely with India in semiconductor and precision engineering, with large industrial parks in the subcontinent.
Head of India’s Chintan Research Foundation, Debajit Palit, said part of the Make in India initiative is to seek alternatives to oil and gas. He noted that nuclear is the cleanest candidate to offset coal use, and the private sector has recently been allowed to operate to maintain energy source diversity.
For energy, Palit said that coal comprises 70% of India’s energy source and is taxed heavily to curb use, to 55% by 2030, and 34 % by 2050. 30% of total electricity is wind- and solar-generated, with consumption expanding fourfold over the next 30 years, up to 6500 terawatts by 2047, a huge market for foreign investment.
Palit said that renewable energy is subsidized, incentivizing India to become a global manufacturer in wind turbines and solar installations. He added that there is still much room for cooperation in offshore wind power.
On the supply chain, Palit said that India has large rare-earth reserves and can be a reliable trading partner. Its massive infrastructure upgrades require critical minerals and are looking to halve its dependence.
As to challenges, Palit said that despite India being the world’s most populous country, with an annual GDP growth of 6.8%, policies need to be more transparent to attract more foreign capital.
Concerning trilateral cooperation, Palit said that India has been building micro-grids since 1991 and is being connected with transmission lines to form a unified grid. Palit added that India is now doing peer-to-peer energy trading between users, and these are experiences that both Taiwan and the Philippines can benefit from.
The Philippines' Deputy Chief of Mission Felipe F. Carino III said that both Taiwan and the Philippines are prone to typhoons and should diversify energy infrastructure. He added that the archipelago is mostly looking into offshore wind farms, hydropower, and geothermal.
Carino said that due to the situation in the Middle East and other geopolitical tensions, the Philippines wants to reduce dependence on foreign oil. He added that the Philippines is aiming for 32~35% renewable energy generation by 2030, up to 50% by 2040.
For cooperation, Carino said that India can lend expertise to assist the Philippines with hydropower and micro-grids. He added that the Philippines is working towards decarbonization, with electric vehicles being a welcome option.
He also mentioned the Luzon Economic Corridor initiative, per UDN, which allows partners like Taiwan greater mobility by accelerating maritime access. Its liberalized trading policy also grants investors up to 100% equity in firms they establish.
All three participants have mentioned that nuclear is the cleanest form of energy and should operate alongside renewable infrastructure. Palit added that a joint effort in critical minerals exploration, processing, and recycling is also doable.
