High costs and stringent local content requirements are causing delays and plummeting profitability for Taiwan’s offshore wind projects. When President Tsai Ing-wen took office in 2016, she announced a bold plan to set Taiwan on a path of energy stability while simultaneously phasing out nuclear power by 2025. With land use concerns limiting solar energy…
To make the most of digitalization, businesses and government need to implement enabling frameworks. The pandemic brought digital transformation to the forefront for many Taiwan-based businesses. When companies had to quickly pivot their services, products, or business strategies to stay afloat, efficient digitalization strategies became a necessity. The shift to remote work also compelled many…
Participation in international trade agreements, whether bilateral or multilateral, would benefit Taiwan’s economy and reduce its excessive dependency on China. But entry into some pacts is more likely to be feasible than others. In mid-April, China announced it would start investigating whether nearly 2,500 Taiwan export products conform to its fair-trade rules. The products to…
The government, together with large corporations, has launched initiatives to help small and medium-sized enterprises address the challenges of digital transformation, stringent ESG requirements, and intergenerational management systems. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which represent 99% of all enterprises in Taiwan, have been cited as a linchpin to the country’s rapid post-war development. Yet SMEs…
Geothermal power could aid Taiwan in reaching its green ambitions by providing a reliable baseload energy source, but only if the government is willing to share initial development risks. In 1977, Free China Review (now Taiwan Review) published an article about the island’s electricity mix and the prominent role of nuclear power in providing Taiwan…
The next big thing in nuclear power just might be small – Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), that is. The global buzz about these smaller, more advanced reactors with improved safety characteristics has reached Taiwan. The question is, would it be enough to convince the Taiwanese to give nuclear energy another chance? “The inherent safety features…
After several high-profile blackouts raised concerns about Taiwan’s grid stability, Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) in September last year announced it would invest TW$564.5 billion (US$18 billion) in the grid over the next decade. Investments will focus on resilience, decentralization, modernization, and strengthening of the electricity system. The expansion of smart devices, such as smart grids…
Government and business are taking action to conserve water and raise artificially low prices in response to the threat of an increase in droughts. After more than a quarter of a century without any price increase, water is finally becoming more expensive for some enterprises in Taiwan. Since February 1 this year, as part of…
Taiwan’s increased reliance on LNG and the recent steep rise in the cost of the fuel in global markets are putting growing financial pressure on Taipower. “Taipower cannot be allowed to collapse.” Those were the words of Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua on March 17 when she was questioned at the legislature about her…
Market woes in China and geopolitical tensions have caused Taiwanese banks and other financial institutions to gradually draw down their cross-Strait exposure. In the first half of the 2010s, Taiwanese financial institutions viewed China as the most promising international market. They had few opportunities to expand in their saturated home market and hoped to boost…
