The path to net-zero emissions by 2050 has been laid out and the “Net-Zero Technology Action Plan” led by the Ministry of Science and Technology has been launched. Main projects include hydrogen energy, energy storage devices and smart grids, to name a few. The Ministry aims to work together with Japan, Australia and Germany to develop energy storage devices.

  Lin Cong-ming, deputy minister of Science and Technology, has said that the goal of net zero emissions can be achieved before 2030 using existing technology but after 2030, new technology will be required. Currently, the most important technologies are energy storage equipment, hydrogen energy, smart grids, and other technology currently in development. The solutions required to meet net-zero transformation by 2050 are estimated to cost NT$900 billion before 2030; of this budget, NT$210.7 billion will be spent on renewable and hydrogen energy, NT$207.8 billion on power grids and energy storage, NT$128 billion on energy saving and boiler replacement, and NT$168 billion on the electrification of vehicles.

  Based on the industrial characteristics of PCB manufacturing, about 70% of carbon emissions are classified as indirect emissions (Scope 2 as defined by ISO14064), with the energy consumed originating mainly from outsourced electricity. Therefore, the use of ‘green’ electricity is thought to be one of the best ways for PCB manufacturers to achieve net zero carbon emissions. The current supply of green energy in Taiwan focuses too heavily on photovoltaics and wind power, with not much diversity and slow progress. In this context, power manufacturers are concerned about how stable the power supply will be in the future, with the situation most likely to result in an imbalance of supply-demand and confusion around the cost of green power. Therefore, some manufacturers with resources have already started to plan their own power generation projects which include hydrogen power generation, power generation with waste combustion, and so on, so that they are not overly reliant on outsourcing green power at this stage. However, self-power generation projects are handicapped by issues such as the scarcity of construction land, the lack of new energy technology developed enough for commercialization, and capital investment, and remain in the planning stage for the time being.

   If the MOST are to play a leading role, they must help to accelerate the technological development of clean energy that can be transferred to the industry for earlier commercialization. However, before the technology can mature, energy conservation remains one of the key ways for enterprises to reduce their carbon emissions. To achieve effective energy conservation, enterprises must first conduct an overall inspection of the carbon emissions in their factories to better understand their power consumption and carbon emission points, before suitable measures can be taken. This is the first step in realizing net-zero transformation.