Google signed its first geothermal energy deal in Taiwan with geothermal energy developer Baseload Capital, which will bring 10 megawatts of clean power online and accelerate Taiwan's geothermal development.
According to a news release, the geothermal power plant will supply local data centers and facilities with clean electricity "while opening up pathways to scale geothermal development across the Asia-Pacific region and globally."
The geothermal project marks Google's first in the region and will support Taiwan's target of adding 6 GW of geothermal power by 2050, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs. ThinkGeoEnergy reported that the geothermal power plant is expected to be operational by 2029 and will double Taiwan's geothermal capacity, which is currently around 7 MW across five small-scale plants.
Geothermal energy harnesses the heat beneath our feet, which originates from Earth's core and is continuously produced, making it an inexhaustible source of renewable power. For countries such as Taiwan, Google says it offers "significant potential" to supply reliable, steady power to complement wind and solar, which are intermittent because they depend on specific weather conditions.
Taiwan's location along the Ring of Fire gives it direct access to abundant geothermal resources, estimated to be between 30 and 60 GW, according to ThinkGeoEnergy. Despite the incredible potential for development, geothermal energy is still not available on a commercial scale because of regulatory hurdles and a lack of clear geothermal laws, Taiwan Business Topics reported.
However, Google noted that Baseload Capital has been working with the Taiwanese government since 2019 to "improve the regulatory and permitting framework for geothermal energy," which should help speed up deployment of power plants.
When more geothermal capacity becomes available, it could lead to lower energy bills for cities and residents since plants can operate consistently at full capacity. And because geothermal energy is a renewable resource, it has a much smaller environmental footprint than traditional energy sources such as oil.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that geothermal power plants produce around 99% less carbon dioxide than fossil fuel plants, leading to cleaner air and improved health for communities.
Google has other geothermal projects in the pipeline, including research into unlocking Australia's geothermal energy and developing new geothermal technologies through its partnership with clean energy startup Fervo Energy.
"This long-term partnership with Baseload Capital, which includes an equity investment in the company, represents our latest step to accelerate the deployment of geothermal as a 24/7 clean energy technology across Asia Pacific and globally," Google stated.
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Should we be digging miles beneath Earth's surface? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
No way 👎 "... This partnership is an important milestone in Google's clean energy journey, and in our efforts to bring the benefits of reliable, clean power to every region where we operate."
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