Joining the New Zealand delegation are Tina Wilson, Director of the Trade Development Center, and business manager Cai Peijun. Together with Rao Qingling and finance director Zhang Zhengwen, the group visited Taitung County, the third largest county in Taiwan. The development of geothermal is now a major thrust of the county, with more than half of the county’s electricity consumption envisioned to be supplied by geothermal resources.
New Zealand and Taiwan are also similar in that their geothermal resources are very closely intertwined with the culture of local aboriginal groups. Aside from developing technology in geothermal power generation, the two sides hope to also cooperate and exchange best practices in the field of aboriginal culture promotion in the future.
Wilson similarly expressed gratitude to Mayor Rao Qingling for her support for the cooperation and exchange on geothermal development between the two parties. There are plans for the Taitung County team to also visit New Zealand and tour local academic research institutions, geothermal power plants, and related aboriginal organizations.
Taiwan has ramped up efforts to develop the country’s geothermal resources in recent years, with several partnership agreements signed since 2022. In January 2023, the country held the first Taiwan International Geothermal Conference, providing a platform for local and international geothermal experts to exchange knowledge and explore opportunities for collaboration.
