The government yesterday unveiled its plan to promote green energy, with all government vehicles in Taipei switching to E3 ethanol gasoline by September and biofuel expected to be available at all gas stations nationwide by 2011.
"The international community has been under pressure to curb carbon-dioxide emissions since the Kyoto Protocol took effect on Feb. 16, 2005," Minister of Economic Affairs Steve Chen (陳瑞隆) said.
"Although Taiwan is not a member of the UN and not bound by the Kyoto Protocol, we -- as a member of the global community -- cannot afford to isolate ourselves."
The minister made the remarks while addressing a monthly meeting attended by the president and other top government officials at the Presidential Office.
In addition to promoting energy-saving measures and upgrading energy efficiency, Chen said the government would aggressively push the use of renewable energy.
The government has set a goal of boosting deployment of power generated by clean energy to 10 percent of the total by 2010.
Aside from promoting power generated by solar, wind, water, geothermal and biomaterials, Chen said the government hoped to develop hydrogen energy and fuel cell technology.
A total of 428 city buses in Kaohsiung City have been using biodiesel since Jan. 27, Chen said, adding that Chiayi County's public buses were set to join the "green bus" project in the second half of the year.
Starting next month, B1 diesel will be available at gas stations in Taoyuan and Chiayi cities and counties, Chen said.
B1 diesel is a blend of 99 percent ordinary diesel and 1 percent biodiesel.
The government plans to have B1 diesel available at all gas stations nationwide by 2008 and B2 diesel by 2010, Chen said.
The state-owned CPC Corp, Taiwan, is expected to provide E3 ethanol gasoline in select gas stations in Taipei City in line with the ministry's plan to let all government vehicles in Taipei use E3 biofuel on a trial basis.
E3 ethanol gasoline is expected to be available at filling stations across the country by 2011.
E3 ethanol gasoline is composed of 97 percent gasoline and 3 percent ethanol.
The government will offer incentives to encourage motorists to switch to ethanol gasoline, Chen said.
Chen estimated that the global output of the green industry will reach US$665 billion by 2015, with Taiwan accounting for US$20 billion.
Taiwan is a niche supplier in the photoelectricity industry, with total output estimated to grow from NT$21.2 billion (US$642 million) last year to NT$60.8 billion in 2010, Chen said.
The nation also leads in the light emitting diode (LED) industry, ranking first in terms of worldwide volume and second in terms of value, Chen said.
Taiwan's annual production value of solar heating system has reached NT$1.2 billion, with a total of 36 manufacturing firms and 257 installation companies, Chen said.
Two people were killed and another nine injured yesterday after being stung by hornets while hiking in New Taipei City’s Rueifang District (瑞芳), with officials warning against wearing perfume or straying from trails during the autumn to avoid the potentially deadly creatures. Seven of the hikers only sustained minor injuries after being stung along the Bafenliao Hiking Trail (八分寮) and made their way down the mountain with a guide, the New Taipei City Fire Department said. Four of them — all male — sustained more serious injuries and were assisted when leaving the mountain, the department said. Two of them, a man surnamed
Recent movements by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have been “highly unusual,” but the military maintains a grasp of the situation, Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) said on Friday, after the military for the first time said it was monitoring troop movements in China’s Dacheng Bay (大埕灣). The minister gave the remarks to reporters before appearing at the legislature on the first day of its new session. The Ministry of National Defense on Thursday evening released an air force surveillance photograph of a PLA Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft, and said it was monitoring the PLA Rocket Force and ground
China’s Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong has asked foreign consulates in Hong Kong to submit details of their local staff, which is more proof that the “one country, two systems” model no longer exists, a Taiwanese academic said. The office sent letters dated Monday last week to consulates in the territory, giving them one month to submit the information it requires. The move followed Beijing’s attempt to obtain floor plans for all properties used by foreign missions in Hong Kong last year, which raised concerns among diplomats that the information could be used for
‘ABNORMITY’: News of the military exercises on the coast of the Chinese province facing Taiwan were made public by the Ministry of National Defense on Thursday Taiwan’s military yesterday said it has detected the Chinese military initiating a round of exercises at a bay area in coastal Fujian Province, which faces Taiwan, since early yesterday morning and it has been closely monitoring the drills. The exercises being conducted at Fujian’s Dacheng Bay featured an undisclosed number of People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) warplanes, warships and ground troops, the Ministry of National Defense said in a press statement. The ministry did not disclose what kind of military exercises are being conducted there and for how long they would be happening, but it did say that it has been closely watching
RSS