TAIPEI, Taiwan, June 12 (UPI) -- Taiwan will make a push toward ethanol fuel and more renewable energy, Economic Affairs Minister Steve Chen said.
The China Post newspaper reported that Chen said Monday Taiwan would push government vehicles in the capital, Taipei, to use E3 fuel on a trial basis beginning in September. E3 is gasoline to which 3 percent ethanol has been added.
The comments were made in a report on Taiwan's industrial development and renewable energy resources at a monthly meeting at the Presidential Office, the newspaper said.
Chen said his ministry had asked Taiwan's China Petroleum Corp. to select gas stations that would sell E3 from 2011.
He also said his ministry was examining ways to encourage private motorists to use ethanol-blended gasoline, the newspaper reported.
Although Taiwan is not a member of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, it will cut greenhouse gas emissions, he said.
To this end, Taiwan plans to have renewable energy-power electricity generation capacity of around 5.13 billion watts by 2010 and 8 billion watts in the long run, the newspaper said,
The focus will be on wind, solar, geothermal and bioenergy, along with hydrogen and fuel cells. The newspaper quoted him as saying the production value of Taiwan's green energy industry will reach $20 billion by 2015.
