Taiwanese manufacturers must accelerate their shift to renewable energy to maintain the island’s competitiveness as a leading export economy, according to Synera Renewable Energy chairman Lucas Lin.
Speaking at a press conference in Taipei ahead of the Energy Taiwan and Net-Zero Taiwan exhibitions, scheduled for Oct. 29–31, Lin said clean power should become a “core competence” for Taiwan’s key industrial players, including its semiconductor and server manufacturers.
“I’m not talking about targets in 10- or 20-years’ time… I’m talking about our export industry and how it can become a core competence,” Lin told reporters. “If we don’t have green or renewable energy it is going to cause problems.”
He warned that failure to decarbonise could threaten supply relationships with multinational corporations such as Apple and Microsoft, which have pledged to use 100% renewable energy under initiatives like RE100.
Some exporters may also face new trade barriers as the European Union prepares to introduce its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism next year, which will impose tariffs on carbon-intensive imports.
Lin said the transition to renewable energy could be supported by Taiwan’s offshore wind sector, which offers “consistent, stable pricing and low emissions.” The island currently has 4 gigawatts (GW) of installed offshore wind capacity and aims to expand that to 10.9 GW by 2030.
Industry representatives at the event acknowledged the growing pressure to adapt. “There is growing pressure for a lot of players in Taiwan to make adjustments to what they do,” said Terry Tsao, global chief marketing officer and president of SEMI Taiwan, a semiconductor industry group. “The semiconductor industry plays a very big part when it comes to reducing carbon emissions. It is very important for them to follow this global trend.”
Jason Dend, executive director of the exhibition department at TAITRA, which organised the event, said the exhibitions aimed to highlight opportunities for Taiwanese manufacturers to expand their use of domestic clean energy.
“We want to make our shows facilitators to help them achieve this goal,” Dend said. “It is not just an exhibition. They are crucial platforms for Taiwan to move towards the net zero transformation and an opportunity for the world to see what innovations Taiwan has to offer.”
