Last year (2022), Taipower first announced its “net zero electricity” goal and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Siemens, Mitsubishi, and other major international companies to promote the demonstration of new energy applications—gas-fired hydrogen blending and coal-fired ammonia blending power generation—combined with existing generating units. Today (February 1), Taipower and Academia Sinica, the highest academic research institution in Taiwan, entered into their first “MOU on the development and application of carbon reduction and green energy technologies”. Taipower expressed that it will work closely with Academia Sinica in the fields of carbon reduction and green energy, such as methane pyrolysis, geothermal energy, and marine energy, in a joint effort to accelerate the country's progress in achieving zero-carbon electricity.

This morning, Taipower’s Acting Chairman Tseng Wen-Sheng, Taipower President Wang Yao-Ting, Academia Sinica President Liao Chun-Chi, and Center for Sustainable Science’s Executive Secretary Chen Yu-Kao jointly entered into a “MOU on the development and application of carbon reduction and green energy technologies” at Academia Sinica's Research Center for Environmental Change.

• Today, Taipower and Academia Sinica entered into their first MOU to focus on carbon reduction and green energy technology development and application cooperation. Pictured from right are Taiwan Power Research Institute Director Chung Nien-Mien, Taipower President Wang Yao-Ting, Taipower’s Acting Chairman Tseng Wen-Sheng, Academia Sinica President Liao Chun-Chi, Academia Sinica Vice President Chou Mei-Yin, and Center for Sustainable Science Executive Secretary Chen Yu-Kao.

According to Taipower, in order to promote hydrogen power generation, the Company introduced the first hydrogen blending micro-gas turbine power generation system in Taiwan in 2022 and successfully blended 10% hydrogen to generate clean and low-carbon electricity. Academia Sinica's methane pyrolysis technology provides both clean hydrogen energy and solid carbon benefits. Taipower hopes that through the execution of the MOU, they can work together toward the goal of net-zero carbon emissions for electricity in 2050.

According to Liao Chun-Chi, Academia Sinica released the Taiwan Net Zero Technology R&D policy proposal last year, which specifically recommends “creating enough net zero electricity” as the top priority of Taiwan's net zero technology promotion strategy. The primary focus of the current cooperative project with Taipower is the application of methane pyrolysis power generation. By linking the R&D side with the application side, this project seeks to accelerate the implementation of the technology and help Taiwan to increase the proportion of net zero electricity as soon as possible.

Taipower explained that the MOU includes the joint development of hydrogen blending and all-hydrogen power generation applications using "methane pyrolysis" power generation technology (hydrogen-fired power generation technology utilizing hydrogen produced through the decomposition of natural gasses). Initially, the technology will be demonstrated through integration into Taipower’s micro-gas turbine power generation technology for decentralized power grids; later, the scale will be expanded to supply hydrogen produced through methane pyrolysis to domestic power plant units, gradually increasing the hydrogen blending ratio and hydrogen supply capacity. Additionally, Taipower and Academia Sinica will exchange information on the progress and research results of green energy technologies such as geothermal energy and marine energy.

According to Taipower, methane pyrolysis is an upstream technology that provides a carbon-free source of hydrogen for hydrogen power generation. Academia Sinica has developed the technology to use natural gas decomposition to produce hydrogen and solid carbon in a sustainable and stable manner. The hydrogen can be used for power generation and industrial purposes, whereas the solid carbon can be used for industrial production of raw materials, and no carbon dioxide is emitted during the hydrogen production process. Therefore, this technology can not only provide stable and diversified electricity, but also contribute to carbon reduction.

• In order to promote hydrogen power generation, Taipower introduced the first hydrogen blending micro-gas turbine power generation system in Taiwan in 2022 (as shown in the picture) and successfully blended 10% hydrogen.

Spokesperson: Wu Chin-Chung, Chief Engineer

Telephone: (02) 2366-6271 / 0910-192-766

Email: u850899@taipower.com.tw

Contact Person: Chung Nien-Mien, Director, Taiwan Power Research Institute

Telephone: (02) 2360-1001 / 0919-712-846

Email: u076075@taipower.com.tw