Demand for energy fuels innovation in Taiwan

In 1928, Taiwan’s national research agenda focused on deepening knowledge without mind to immediate applications. Now, technology solutions are a top priority for the country’s government research institution, Academia Sinica, as it seeks to help Taiwan reduce its emissions to net-zero by 2050.

“We are taking the taxpayers’ money, so we get increasing expectations to contribute to the society, particularly for important problems that nobody knows how to solve,” said Academia Sinica President James C. Liao.

In a conversation with Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Dean Arun Majumdar Oct. 27, Liao discussed how Academia Sinica is driving Taiwan toward a more sustainable future and how Stanford researchers can get involved in that effort.

The event was part of the Doerr School of Sustainability Dean’s Lecture Series, which brings together scholars and thought leaders to discuss the frontiers of research, education, practice, and impact related to an area in sustainability. 

Technologies for Taiwan’s energy future

Taiwan’s energy sector accounts for 91% of the island’s greenhouse gas emissions, a figure comparable to other highly developed, industrialized nations. A large portion of the island nation’s energy-related emissions comes from its advanced computer chip manufacturing industry, which requires energy to power heavy machinery, data processing, and air conditioning for sensitive equipment. Liao said he expects electricity demand to rise to at least 500 terawatt-hours in 2050, from 280 terawatt-hours in 2023.

“And that is assuming that we have zero economic growth,” Liao said. “In reality, I think we probably will need 600. And if you account for new AI centers, maybe even more. So we need to build up our electricity supply very fast.”

Currently, Taiwan generates most of its energy from imported coal and gas, with renewables generating only 10% of the electricity supply, and nuclear about 6%. 

Liao explained that Taiwan’s limited land area, high population density, and mountainous landscape make it difficult to expand wind and solar operations. The license for its last nuclear power plant recently expired, but even if it comes back online, he said, the island is still left with a large energy gap.

Research directions

To address this challenge, Academia Sinica researchers are focusing on five technologies, including methane pyrolysis, geothermal energy, marine current technology, high-efficiency solar cells, and biofuels derived from fast-growing grass or macroalgae.

Methane pyrolysis, which splits methane into hydrogen and solid carbon, is “one of the key factors that’s extremely important for Taiwan,” Liao said. Academia Sinica researchers have built a small-scale methane pyrolysis unit and aim to scale it up by 2027. They have also created underground mapping technology for identifying geothermal energy resources, and have begun testing an underwater marine turbine and designing high-efficiency solar cells.

Liao and Majumdar previously worked together at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E), where Liao designed a “new-to-nature carbon-fixing cycle” that he and colleagues have since inserted into a type of mustard plant called Arabidopsis thaliana. 

“It doubled the CO2 fixation rates, tripled the seed yield, and doubled the lipid in seeds and leaves,” which can then be harvested for cooking oil or aviation fuel, Liao said.

Issues of national security

Liao said that Taiwan’s sustainable energy efforts are essential to national security: “Energy security and national security cannot be separated, especially in Taiwan.”

Climate change presents additional challenges. Water has always been a problem for Taiwan, and though the eastern part of the island was recently hit by heavy rains, it was in extreme drought just two years ago, Liao said. 

In addition to energy innovation, Academia Sinica researchers are studying climate adaptation ideas. “Most people are not that optimistic of achieving net-zero in 2050, so adaptation has become essential,” Liao said.

Opportunities for collaboration

Liao announced a new business plan competition focused on technology for reducing emissions in Taiwan that will be open to Stanford students, with details coming in December. Winners will receive cash prizes and a trip to Taiwan to meet with tech entrepreneurs and researchers.

In conversation with Majumdar, Liao shared other opportunities for Taiwanese institutions to work with researchers at Stanford and across the United States.

“Taiwan can benefit from Stanford because Stanford has a very good reputation in entrepreneurship, in technology development,” Liao said, adding that collaborating with people outside of Taiwan attracts the attention of Taiwanese investors.

Stanford can also help Taiwan in its resilience efforts, Liao said, including using advanced technologies to help manage and decentralize the electricity grid. Majumdar noted Stanford’s work in microgrids, including the new microgrid at the O’Donohue Family Stanford Educational Farm.

On the topic of nuclear energy, Liao said he was interested in learning if it’s possible for other countries to handle Taiwan’s spent fuel. Small modular reactors could be another opportunity for the U.S. and Taiwan to work together, he said.

The conversation ended with a question from Majumdar: If Liao could go back in time and give advice to himself just after he finished his PhD, what would he say?

“I would not tell him anything,” Liao said. “Young people should explore by themselves. You should only tell them your failures: You did this, that’s wrong; you did this, that’s wrong. And the rest, they should be allowed – should be encouraged – to try.”