Taiwan’s renewable energy goals to be supported by DNV-MIRDC partnership

Classification society DNV has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Taiwan’s Metal Industries Research & Development Centre (MIRDC) to collaborate on renewable energy technologies, including floating solar, among others.

The MoU solidifies a three-year partnership aimed at enhancing Taiwan’s renewable energy capabilities, including wind, energy storage, and hydrogen solutions.

The agreement, formalized on October 18, 2024, was signed by Yung-Hsiang Lai, CEO of MIRDC, and Matthew Rowe, Director of Power Grids, APAC, Energy Systems at DNV. Both organizations will leverage their expertise to promote technologies crucial to Taiwan’s net-zero by 2050 strategy, with an emphasis on low-carbon energy solutions such as hydrogen and ammonia, DNV noted.

The collaboration aims to further accelerate Taiwan’s transition to a green economy and secure its energy supply by integrating renewables into the grid and advancing energy storage systems.

“We are pleased to embark on this collaboration with DNV, a partner who is deeply invested in supporting the industry to accelerate the decarbonization of energy to achieve a net-zero future and also brings invaluable technical capabilities,” said Ren-Yi Lin, Chairman of MIRDC.

“MIRDC has been at the forefront of promoting sustainability and advancing renewable energy technologies, focusing on innovative solutions and research that align with global energy goals. By combining our expertise, we will create synergy that will further drive growth in the renewable energy technology in Taiwan.” 

According to DNV, hydrogen technology is set to play a vital role in stabilizing Taiwan’s grid by supporting the integration of intermittent energy sources, while offering potential applications in industrial decarbonization and sustainable transportation. This, combined with the development of floating solar and other renewable technologies, is expected to contribute significantly to Taiwan’s climate objectives.

Brice Le Gallo, Vice President, and Regional Director of APAC, Energy Systems at DNV, added: “It is our great pleasure to formalise this strategic collaboration with MIRDC to advance renewable energy technology in Taiwan and we are confident that we will have a fruitful and successful industry collaboration together.”

Just recently, Taiwan’s Sun Rise E&T, a manufacturer of floating solar systems, unveiled that it is gearing up to install the first offshore floating solar system next year off the coast of Pingtung, marking a step in local renewable energy expansion.

Solar PV capacity additions are poised to be a central pillar of Southeast Asia’s energy future, with floating installations primed to play a critical role, overcoming limited land availability and presenting an opportunity to increase renewable energy generation without deforestation, Rystad Energy’s report writes.