No Zero Technology, Academia Sinica

Supporting Taiwan’s Net Zero Transition

Taiwan is committed to transitioning to a green economy. On Earth Day 2021, then President Tsai Ing-wen declared that Taiwan would aim for a Net Zero transition by 2050. Within a year, the government published a policy framework for achieving this. In support of this agenda, Academia Sinica, the government’s central research institute, immediately started developing a research strategy for clean energy technology.

   In 2022, Academia Sinica released its research strategy white paper, "Taiwan Net-Zero Technology R&D Policy Recommendations.” Among the many technologies reviewed in the paper, the institute recommended focusing on five technologies in particular. All of these are targeted at reducing the carbon intensity of Taiwan’s electric grid, which accounts for the largest source of emissions in the country.

The recommended technologies have become known as the “Five Arrows”:

• Methane Pyrolysis to Power (MPTP) - creating hydrogen from methane using a process called pyrolysis, which removes the carbon, to power the electric grid
• Solar - developing high efficiency solar panels.
• Marine energy - developing underwater electric turbines to be deployed in the strong Kuroshio current off the east coast of Taiwan
• Biomass - developing biomass technology for carbon capture and renewable energy.
• Geothermal - developing geothermal capabilities to generate electricity.

With partner institutions and businesses, Academia Sinica is now researching and  testing each of these technologies so they can be deployed as rapidly as possible.

Methane Pyrolysis to Power (MPTP)

Today Taiwan imports natural gas to generate electricity along with other fossil fuels. New approaches are looking at the potential to strip the carbon out of natural gas before it is burned for power. Using a process called “methane pyrolysis,” it is possible to remove the carbon atoms from methane (CH4) to create solid carbon (C) and hydrogen (H2). The hydrogen can then be blended and burned with natural gas, or eventually burned as pure hydrogen. This approach has the potential to reduce the carbon intensity of electric power in Taiwan. At the same time, the solid carbon has potential industrial uses, including as a component in tires, road surfaces, batteries, and high-end materials. Initial efforts in partnership with Taiwan Power Corp. have involved creating a 65kw micro gas turbine capable of producing hydrogen and blending it with natural gas. Research is now focused on expanding the technology to commercial scale.

Solar

Solar energy is already making a significant contribution to Taiwan’s energy mix. However, with limited land available for large-scale solar farms, expanding solar further is a challenge. As a result, researchers in Taiwan are looking at ways to make solar panels more efficient at capturing the sun’s energy.

New solar cells that include a mineral known as Perovskite have the potential to generate more electricity for the same surface area as traditional silicon-based solar cells. Perovskite can absorb light at much lower wavelengths than silicon, so combining both into the same solar cell dramatically increases the amount of radiation it can absorb.

Marine Turbines

One of Taiwan’s unique geographical features is that the Kuroshio ocean current runs along its east coast from south to north. This is a very strong current that runs consistently year-round. As such, one of the research areas recommended by Academia Sinica is to develop underwater turbines that can capture the current’s energy and convert it into electricity. Key areas of research include current detection, mapping the seabed, turbine engineering, and anchoring technologies. A site off the coast of Chenggong in Taitung County, with stable currents and favorable seabed geological conditions, has been selected for the possible deployment of power generation. In 2024 Academia Sinica and Taiwanese shipbuilder CSBC Corp. signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a turbine. The partners are developing a 100kW ocean current turbine generator that they expect to test in waters off Taitung County later this year.

Biomass

Another area of focus is the potential to use biomass, essentially plant materials, to capture carbon and provide renewable energy. Our research is looking into using Napier grass (Pennisetum), a fast-growing plant with a high energy content. After the grass has grown, it can be broken down into stable forms of carbon using an oxygen free biochar process and potentially used as fertilizer. The grass also has potential to be used an energy source, including as a feedstock of biofuels.

   Another biomass opportunity we are researching focuses on using seaweed as a literal carbon sink. Researchers are growing seaweed in a floating farm off the east coast of Taiwan and then letting the seaweed sink deep under water where the carbon can stay sequestered for over a century.

Geothermal

As a volcanic island, Taiwan has untapped potential underground in the form of geothermal energy. While limited forms of geothermal energy have already been in use around the world for a while, these applications have only drilled just below the earth’s surface. There is a new focus on drilling wells as deep as several kilometers to tap into very high temperatures. Often referred to as “Enhanced Geothermal Systems” or EGS, this approach involves pumping water into very hot layers of rock. The resulting steam then resurfaces and can be used to generate electricity.

In order for Taiwan to develop enhanced geothermal, it will need to develop new capabilities in geology, sensing, data analysis, and drilling techniques. The legal framework for permitting geothermal operations will also need to be updated. As these capabilities come together, it is hoped that geothermal can generate as much as 12GW by 2050.  Research is now focusing on developing test wells to serve as a focal point for developing these capabilities.

These technologies alone cannot solve all of Taiwan’s needs for renewable energy. Wind, solar, and other renewables will still need to be developed as quickly as possible. However, it is hopes that these additional approaches will contribute to the solution at the same as developing Taiwan’s technical capabilities in this important, emerging field.