Increased green gold will reduce reliance on oil

This article was written by Annie Huang and published by the Taiwan Journal on March 9, 2007. It reports that in order to promote the use of biodiesel fuel mixed with oil obtained from domestically produced soybeans and sunflowers, the government sponsored shuttle buses that ran on such fuel during the 2007 Taiwan Lantern Festival. This move was expected to help boost Taiwan's application of renewable energy sources, such as biodiesel and ethanol-added gasoline.

The government further announced recently that it would increase the domestic acreage of crops that could be used to produce renewable energy. Specifically, crops targeted for increased production include soybeans and sunflowers, which will be grown on around 4,550 hectares in 2007, up from a trial area of 1,721 hectares in 2006. According to this article, not only can the use of renewable energy sources reduce Taiwan's reliance on diminishing petroleum resources, but it can also spur economic growth in the nation's agriculture sector.

Biodiesel is also called the "green gold". It is regular fuel blended with oil from recycled food oil, or from crops such as sunflower and soybean. On the other hand, ethanol gasoline makes use of products derived from the fermentation of sweet potatoes. According to this article, the use of biodiesel in Taiwan is aimed at reducing oil imports, which accounts for 98 percent of all crude oil used for fuel consumed by public and private vehicles. For example, by the end of January 2007, more than 400 buses in southern Taiwan's Kaohsiung City were using biodiesel. From 2008, diesel with 1 percent biofuel will be on sale in gas stations all around Taiwan. Such proportion will rise to 2 percent in 2010.

According to this article, the government further plans to adopt E3, gasoline containing 3 percent ethanol, on a trial basis. By 2011, ethanol gasoline will be available in gas stations all around Taiwan. Such move is to follow the footsteps of European and American countries. For example, members of the European Union currently have E85 -- 85 percent ethanol with 15 percent gasoline. Brazil now has E93 ethanol gasoline.

However, environmentally friendly fuels have their side effects. For instance, ethanol may corrode fuel tanks and reduce driving performance. Moreover, only vehicles produced after 2001 -- around 1.17 million in total -- can use ethanol gasoline. These problems will need to be addressed by the government before the use of these alternative energy sources can be expanded.

Nonetheless, the use of renewable energy sources can reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The government claims that emissions in Taiwan can be reduced by 326,000 metric tons annually, while creating a renewable energy market that is worth up to US$107.7 million.