European public service channel ARTE recently reported on Taiwan’s efforts to advance geothermal energy as an alternative to fossil fuels for electricity generation. The report highlighted that Taiwan’s heavy reliance on imported energy makes it particularly susceptible to threats from China. In 2024, 79.7 percent of Taiwan’s electricity generation depended on imported fuels. China’s recent military exercises, which have included simulated attacks on Taiwan’s Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) receiving terminals, underscore the growing urgency of Taiwan’s energy security crisis.
Dr. Tsai-Ying Lu, Director of the Energy Security and Climate Resilience Program at DSET, explained that China has simulated targeted attacks on the three LNG receiving terminals situated across Taiwan. She noted that China’s military exercise models suggest the possibility of imposing a maritime quarantine rather than launching a direct full-scale invasion, potentially using coast guard vessels instead of military forces to restrict Taiwan’s maritime and air traffic. Such measures would pose a significant challenge to Taiwan’s ability to import energy.
ARTE further reported on DSET’s research, showing that Taiwan would last at least forty days — under the current civilian and industrial electricity consumption — by utilizing its strategic energy stockpiles of coal and LNG in coordination with renewable energy in the event of a blockade. With the current installed capacity of geothermal units accounting for 7.289 MW, Taiwan aims to increase its capacity to 6 GW by 2050.
Taiwan’s 2025 net-zero emissions strategy also aims to increase the proportion of renewable energy to 60-70 percent, combining it with hydrogen energy and carbon capture technology to achieve decarbonization of the overall power supply. By expanding the application of renewable energy and increasing the proportion of locally produced energy, the risk and dependency on imported energy will be reduced. DSET will continue to follow Taiwan’s progress in energy transformation and provide policy recommendations in our future research.
