Taiwan’s offshore Penghu County plans to launch a joint venture in July to develop renewable resources and green tourism with the goal of becoming one of the top 10 low-carbon islands in the world, an official said Saturday.
Yeh Kuo-ching, director-general of the county’s Economic Affairs Department, said the county government plans to inject 25 percent of the capital needed for the joint venture and raise 45 percent of the funds from technology firms and the other 30 percent from the private sector.
Yeh said the island has great renewable resources potential and that it can develop solar power during summer and wind power during winter.
The official said the alternative energy will help Penghu develop green tourism.
The number of visitors to Penghu in recent years has been increasing. Some 665,978 visits were made to Penghu in 2011, up 40 percent compared with the number in 2008, he added.
Penghu has the potential to generate some 500 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of green power per year and can sell 100 million kWh ofthat amount to Taiwan via a submarine cable, he added.
He added that the Bureau of Energy under the Ministry of Economic Affairs will subsidize the county NT$364.9 million (US$12.17 million)to establish solar power equipment.
Once in place, the solar power project will help reduce 1,197 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, Yeh said.
In addition, Yeh said the county government is also promoting the use of electric motorcycles on the island. So far, 1,700 such vehicles have been put in use.
