Taipei, Nov. 30 (CNA) A consistent, clear policy and reliable database are needed for Taiwan's renewable energy development, a delegation of British renewable energy experts said Thursday at a seminar organized by the British Trade and Cultural Office and the Bureau of Energy under the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
With a long history and expertise in renewable energy development, Britain is keen on sharing this expertise with Taiwan, said delegation leader Richard Brooks, who serves as the head of Business Development 2010 Target Team under Britain's Department of Trade and Industry.
It is impossible to replace all energy with renewable energy, he said, adding that the key lies in the balance of resources.
Taiwan needs to understand what its natural resources are and then identify what indigenous industry is capable of doing before deciding on its policy on renewable energy development, according to Richard Whiting, a representative from Garrad Hassan and Partners Limited, a British company specializing in wind energy. It must keep its policy consistent so private corporations can explore opportunities and develop, he added.
In wind energy development, a high-quality and reliable data reference system is also critical to speed up the process of deciding the location of wind farms, he said.
Taiwan is keen to diversify its power supply and the Taiwan government has been promoting the importance of green energy over the past few years. Since 2004, the government has provided Taiwan Power Company with the goal of developing the renewable energy sector in Taiwan.
The government has set a target of achieving a cumulative renewable energy capacity of 3,300 megawatts by 2010, including self-producing 2,600 megawatts and external procurement of 700 megawatts. Taiwan is planning to install at least 285 wind power generation units over the next two years.
Based on the Energy White Paper of 2003, Britain has adopted targets for generating 10 percent of its electrical power from renewable sources by 2010, rising to 20 percent by 2020. At present, renewable energy accounts for 4.5 percent of Britain's total energy, Brooks said.