Academia Sinica, shipbuilder sign MOU on marine energy development

Taipei, March 25 (CNA) Academia Sinica and CSBC Corp., Taiwan signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday that will pave the way for their cooperation on marine energy technology development.

In a statement Monday, Academia Sinica, Taiwan's top research institution, said it is developing and manufacturing a 100 kilowatt (kW) ocean current turbine generator that it expects to test in waters off Taitung County later this year.

The institution said it hoped that the combination of its research capabilities and the CSBC's maritime engineering strengths would accelerate the testing and deployment process to capture the energy of the Kuroshio Current, which flows off Taitung County year round.

Academia Sinica President James C. Liao (廖俊智) said the Kuroshio Current is the world's second largest marine current, with a strong and stable flow that offers potential for generating energy.

Ocean currents can generate electricity throughout the year without requiring fuel or emitting greenhouse gases and pollutants, and therefore have the potential to serve as a form of baseload power, Liao said.

Liao acknowledged that while Taiwan has talked about exploiting marine energy for many years, progress has been halting due to difficulties in site selection, maritime engineering, turbine generator installation, and cable transmission technologies.

Now, however, a site has finally been found off the coast of Chenggong Township in Taitung, and the institution has developed a 100 kW current turbine generator with corrosion and pressure resistance characteristics equal to those of a submarine, Liao said.

As the largest shipbuilding company in Taiwan, CSBC is expected to contribute to the marine energy project through its skills in vessel building and maintenance and support for offshore windpower and other related technologies, he said.

CSBC Chair Cheng Wen-lon (鄭文隆) said the company has engaged in green energy research and development, including designing oceanographic research vessels, environmentally friendly ships, smart energy and carbon reduction technologies, and energy storage systems.