Taiwan to require environmental reviews for floating solar projects

台灣將對浮動型太陽能專案進行環境審查

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Environmental Minister Peng Chi-ming (彭啓明) announced Monday that the government is preparing to require environmental impact assessments for floating solar power projects.

Peng said the Ministry of Environment is working on the regulatory framework, including determining the size of projects that would trigger an EIA requirement, per ETtoday. He added that further details will be developed over the next one to two months.

Although no other countries currently require EIA specifically for floating solar, Peng said Taiwan aims to become the first to introduce such a regulation.

Addressing concerns about existing projects in reservoirs, Peng said contractors have used only water to clean solar panels, and water quality tests conducted upstream, midstream, downstream, and at water purification plants found no changes compared to historical levels, per UDN. He added that stress tests, including dissolving or grinding panels and submerging them, also showed no significant impact on water quality.

TPP Legislator Chang Chi-kai (張啓楷) called on the government to publish a draft of the proposed regulations as soon as possible, per Awakening News Network. He also urged a review of floating solar projects damaged during Typhoon Danas in southern Taiwan.

In response to an inquiry from KMT Legislator Hung Mong-kai (洪孟楷) about the cost of solar panel disposal, Peng expressed hopes that panels can be designed as circular products in the future. Hung called on the ministry to provide concrete disposal methods and cost estimates.

A recent report by the Control Yuan identified major issues in Taiwan’s solar energy development, per Storm Media. The report highlighted inadequate review of project proposals, shifting regulations, interference by criminal groups, and a lack of coordinated land-use planning.

The Control Yuan warned that these problems could threaten Taiwan’s export competitiveness, foreign investment, food security, and the long-term sustainability of its solar energy sector. It called on the Cabinet and Ministry of Justice to address these issues, and urged the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Economic Affairs to investigate why the fishery and electricity symbiosis policy has fallen behind its goals.