The commitments to cooperation were made during the 2nd Taiwan International Geothermal Conference held in Taipei. Andrew Rae, Geothermal Exploration Geologist, represented GNS Science at separate cooperation ceremonies with the two Taiwanese partners.
Also instrumental to the creation of this partnership was New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) Trade Commissioner Tina Wilson and Business Development Manager, Peg Tsai. Through their efforts, key stakeholders were aligned to the partnerships that will be crucial to the success of the collaboration.
Another partnership was formalized on the same week with the signing of a letter of understanding between Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and New Zealand’s The University of Auckland Geothermal Institute. Both parties are committed to sharing knowledge, growing capability, and jointly developing sustainable and renewable energy solutions for Taiwan.
The similarities in geology, cultural heritage, and commitment to energy sovereignty make the partnership between Taiwan and New Zealand particularly promising. By contributing knowledge and experience, the hope is to parallel the successful models for geothermal development that have been established in New Zealand and help the emerging geothermal industry of Taiwan.
“It is really exciting to be able to partner with, and help, both organizations develop Taiwan’s geothermal resources. For us, this will push the boundaries of our knowledge on sedimentary geothermal systems similar to New Zealand,” said Andrew Rae.
“Taiwan is at a crucial juncture for development, much like Indonesia and the Philippines were in the 80s and 90s. GNS is ready to support Taiwan joining the “GW club” (gigawatt) by 2050,” added Mark Gibson, Senior Business Development Manager for GNS Science.
