Brief news
Google has partnered with BlackRock to build a 1 gigawatt solar capacity pipeline in Taiwan, aiming to increase energy capacity and reduce carbon emissions due to the growing artificial intelligence industry. Google plans to invest in Taiwanese solar developer New Green Power, pending regulatory approval, to support the development of large-scale solar projects. The investment will enhance clean energy integration into Taiwan’s local electricity grid, aligning with Google’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2030. The addition of solar capacity will contribute to the power supply of Google’s data centres and cloud region in Taiwan, and Google plans to provide a portion of the clean energy capacity to its chip suppliers and manufacturers. Taiwan, a major player in the global semiconductor chip market, generates 97% of its energy from non-renewable sources.
Illustrated news
Google has announced a partnership with BlackRock to create a 1 gigawatt pipeline of new solar capacity in Taiwan. This move by the tech giant aims to increase energy capacity and reduce carbon emissions in light of the growing artificial intelligence industry.
Google plans to make a capital investment in Taiwanese solar developer New Green Power, pending regulatory approval. This investment will support the development of New Green Power’s large-scale solar projects.
Google has not disclosed the amount of its investment in New Green Power, a portfolio company of BlackRock.
The investment will enhance the integration of clean energy into Taiwan’s local electricity grid, aligning with Google’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions across all its operations and value chain by 2030, according to the company’s statement.
According to the press release, the addition of new solar capacity will contribute to the power supply of Google’s data centres and cloud region in Taiwan. Additionally, Google plans to provide a portion of the clean energy capacity to its chip suppliers and manufacturers in the area.
According to a recent blog post by Amanda Peterson Corio, Google’s global head of data centre energy, the company plans to acquire a significant amount of solar energy through power purchase agreements (PPAs) and Taiwan Renewable Energy Certificates (T-RECS). This move is aimed at fulfilling the electricity needs of Google’s data centre campus, cloud region, and office operations in Taiwan.
Taiwan is a major player in the global semiconductor chip market, producing almost 60% of the world’s chips. Additionally, it holds a significant share in the production of advanced AI processors. These findings were reported by global consulting firm EY. Chip fabrication facilities are known for their high energy consumption due to the intricate and time-consuming nature of chip manufacturing.
According to data from the Energy Administration under Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, the majority of Taiwan’s energy, approximately 97%, is generated from non-renewable sources such as coal and natural gas.
We must prioritise the enhancement of renewable energy sources.
According to David Giordano, BlackRock’s global head of climate infrastructure, it is crucial to prioritise investments in clean energy due to the increasing demand for digital services driven by AI and data-centric technologies.
In May, Singapore announced its commitment to promoting green data centres in response to the growing demand for artificial intelligence, which is placing a significant burden on energy resources. The objective is to deliver a minimum of 300 megawatts of extra capacity in the near future, along with additional capacity through the implementation of “green energy deployments,” as stated by the government.
A recent report by the Boston Consulting Group revealed that renewable energy development in the Asia-Pacific region is experiencing significant growth, although it is starting from a relatively small starting point. According to a report, most of the region’s markets are expected to have renewable energy make up 30% to 50% of their energy mix by 2030. The report emphasises the need for substantial investment to achieve this goal.
Source : CNBC News
