Ex-minister sees potential for renewable energy development cooperation

Washington, July 1 (CNA) Former Interior Minister Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) said during an online webinar Wednesday that there is significant potential for cooperation between Taiwan, India and the Philippines in renewable energy development.

The Institute for Indo-Pacific Security (IIPS) hosted a virtual event titled "Powering Energy Security and Resilience: Shared Challenges, Local Solutions," featuring Lin, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Philippine Embassy in the United States Felipe F. Cariño III, and Indian energy expert Debajit Palit as panelists.

"I believe Taiwan, India and the Philippines have a lot to offer each other in renewable energy development," said Lin, who is currently an IIPS visiting fellow.

India is rapidly expanding its renewable energy deployment, particularly in solar power, energy storage systems and large-scale manufacturing capacity, Lin said, adding that India also has another key advantage in its abundant rare earth resources.

India could provide manufacturing capacity for the solar industry and serve as an alternative to China-centered supply chains, which Taiwan needs, he added.

Regarding the Philippines, Lin noted that Taiwan and the Philippines both face threats from natural disasters such as typhoons, making resilience a key priority for both sides.

He said this creates many opportunities for cooperation on distributed renewable energy systems, including microgrids, rooftop solar installations and battery energy storage systems, which can continue operating even when the main power grid is disrupted.

"I think cooperation between Taiwan, India, and the Philippines in renewable energy is not only about clean energy transition, it's also about building more resilient energy systems for the future," Lin added.

Meanwhile, Cariño said the Philippines, an archipelago composed of more than 7,000 islands, is making a major push to expand renewable energy, indicating that both Taiwan and India could become ideal partners in offshore wind development.

He further highlighted the Luzon Economic Corridor initiative, saying the Philippines welcomes partners from Taiwan and India to help drive economic transformation and upgrade workforce skills.

The IIPS is a non-partisan think tank based in Arlington, Virginia that focuses on U.S. foreign policy and security issues in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly those related to China and Taiwan.