Twelve farmers' associations in southern Taiwan signed an agreement with Taiwan NJC Corp yesterday to assist owners of fallow farmland to produce crops with which the company can produce biodiesel.
The signing ceremony in Hsuehchia Township (
Su said that Taiwan has 220,000 hectares of fallow farmland, which could be used to grow enough crops to produce 110,000 kiloliters of biodiesel per year. This in turn could reduce the nation's annual emissions of carbon dioxide by 330,000 tonnes, he said.
Su said that many advanced countries have been developing biodiesel as an alternative energy source, and that Taiwan should follow suit to not only increase energy self-sufficiency, but also to promote environmental protection and economic and agricultural development.
Under the agreement, a farmer will be entitled to a guaranteed price plus a subsidy if the crops supplied are up to required standards.
According to Council of Agriculture estimates, about 2,000 hectares of fallow farmland will be included in the initial production plan this year to grow soybeans, sunflowers and rape, and that the scope of the plan will be expanded if everything goes smoothly.
Biodiesel is a clean-burning alternative fuel which is non-toxic and virtually free of harmful sulfur and aromatics. It can be mixed at any level with diesel to create a biodiesel blend.
The Chiayi-based Taiwan NJC Corp began manufacturing biodiesel in October 2004.
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a southwestern extension of the Sanying MRT Line from New Taipei to Bade District (八德) in Taoyuan, with a goal of starting construction by late 2026. The 4.03-kilometer extension, featuring three new stations, will run from the current terminus at Yingtao Fude Station (LB12) in New Taipei City to Dannan Station (LB14), where it will connect with Taoyuan’s Green Line, New Taipei City Metro Corp said in a statement. This extension will follow the completion of core Sanying Line, a 14.29-kilometer medium-capacity system linking Tucheng (土城), Sansia (三峽)
CARGO LOSS: About 50 containers at the stern of the ‘Ever Lunar’ cargo ship went overboard, prompting the temporary closure of the port and disrupting operations Evergreen Marine Corp, Taiwan’s largest container shipper, yesterday said that all crew members aboard the Ever Lunar (長月) were safe after dozens of containers fell overboard off the coast of Peru the previous day. The incident occurred at 9:40am on Friday as the Ever Lunar was anchored and waiting to enter the Port of Callao when it suddenly experienced severe rolling, Evergreen said in a statement. The rolling, which caused the containers to fall, might have been caused by factors including a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in Russia, poor winter sea conditions in South America or a sudden influx of waves,
The Ministry of Culture yesterday officially launched the “We TAIWAN” cultural program on Osaka’s Nakanoshima sandbank, with the program’s mascot receiving overwhelming popularity. The cultural program, which runs from Aug. 2 to 20, was designed to partner with and capitalize on the 2025 World Expo that is being held in Osaka, Japan, from April 13 to Oct. 13, the ministry said. On the first day of the cultural program, its mascot, a green creature named “a-We,” proved to be extremely popular, as its merch was immediately in high demand. Long lines formed yesterday for the opening
The Taipei Summer Festival is to begin tomorrow at Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕), featuring four themed firework shows and five live music performances throughout the month, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said today. The festival in the city’s Datong District (大同) is to run until Aug. 30, holding firework displays on Wednesdays and the final Saturday of the event. The first show is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by Aug. 13, 20 and 30. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney Pixar's movie Toy Story, the festival has partnered with Walt Disney Co (Taiwan) to host a special themed area on
RSS