The zero emissions ship Porrima P111 was launched yesterday in Kaohsiung, showcasing the nation’s advancement in green technology, city Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said.
The nation last year acquired the Swiss-owned vessel, formerly known as Turanor PlanetSolar, in a bid to boost Taiwan’s technology sector, as well as ecotourism in Palau, Chen said at the ship’s launch ceremony at Singda Harbor.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr and Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) also attended the event.
Photo: Lee Hui-chou, Taipei Times
The original vessel was the first solar-powered ship to circumnavigate the globe in a voyage from 2010 to 2012.
Taiwan-based Porrima Inc (保利馬) installed upgrades with parts sourced from Taiwanese vendors and would utilize the high-tech yacht for scuba diving and pleasure cruises in waters around Palau, Chen said.
The vessel’s completion is a show of Taiwan’s technical prowess and is a milestone in the use of technology to protect the environment, he said.
Photo: Lee Hui-chou, Taipei Times
The project has breathed life into Kaohsiung’s aspirations of becoming a world leader in constructing emissions-free vessels and brought jobs to the city, Chen said.
The value of the ship construction project is in the product, and the innovation and technology that went into its creation, he said, citing the electric vehicle industry as an example.
The launch of Porrima P111 is not only the pride of Kaohsiung, but a symbol of Taiwan and Palau working together toward a goal of net zero emissions, he said.
Photo: Lee Hui-chou, Taipei Times
The Porrima P111 is a zero carbon vessel powered by solar, wind and hydrogen-based energy, said Acer Inc (宏碁) founder Stan Shih (施振榮), who is also Porrima’s cofounder and an economic adviser to Palau.
The high-tech yacht would sail in the waters around Taiwan as part of its certification and testing process before making a voyage to Japan in October, he said.
Porrima is to take part in the government’s Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project, he said, referring to a government initiative to facilitate economic development in nations that maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, including Palau.
The company would be involved in employing the ships for high-end tourism in Palau, Shih said.
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
TAIWAN IS TAIWAN: US Representative Tom Tiffany said the amendment was not controversial, as ‘Taiwan is not — nor has it ever been — part of Communist China’ The US House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment banning the US Department of Defense from creating, buying or displaying any map that shows Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The “Honest Maps” amendment was approved in a voice vote on Friday as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for the 2026 fiscal year. The amendment prohibits using any funds from the act to create, buy or display maps that show Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, Wuciou (烏坵), Green Island (綠島) or Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) as part of the PRC. The act includes US$831.5 billion in
RSS