Edited by Yahsin Huang on November 14, 2016

On Nov. 6, the Executive Yuan launched a green energy technology park project in Tainan’s Shalun area. The project, known as “the Shalun Green Energy Science City project,” aims to spur research and development in renewable energy technology and serve as a demonstration site for green energy technology, fostering emerging industries, industrial clusters and new engines for economic growth.

Premier Lin Chuan said the project, an important item on President Tsai Ing-wen’s policy agenda, will help pave the way for the green energy industry sector. By leveraging resources in southern cities in Taiwan --- including existing science parks as well as universities and research institutes in Tainan, Kauhsing, Pintung--- the project will help Taiwan become an attractive international green energy industry technology research and development center in the eyes of both domestic and foreign researchers, manufacturers, and investors.

According to the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), the planned park, which is to be built next to the Taiwan High Speed Rail Tainan Station in the Shalun area in Tainan’s Gueiren District, will span 22.3 hectares and include a joint research center as well as a demonstration site. The joint research center will bring together domestic universities, research institutes, state-owned enterprises and the industrial sector to collaborate on a two-year solar power plan and a four-year wind power plan. Their focus will be on four areas of industrial need: energy creation (solar and wind power), energy storage (fuel cells), energy conservation (green architecture) and systems integration (smart grids).