Taiwan largest cement maker plans to build a large solar power plant, the company and local media said Monday, confirming a trend for the island's companies to focus increasingly on green technologies.
Taiwan Cement is looking to build the 100-megawatt plant in southern Pingtung county, targeting an investment worth "tens of billions" of Taiwan dollars, the Commercial Times reported, citing chairman Koo Cheng-yun.
A spokeswoman for Taiwan Cement, who declined to be named, confirmed the report when contacted by AFP, but said she had no other details.
Taiwan Cement is in talks with Taiwan Sugar, a major land owner, on terms for leasing a piece of land in Pingtung, according to the report.
Solar energy has attracted significant interest in Taiwan, with Inventec Corp., a leading contract notebook computer maker, saying last month it will invest at least 3 billion Taiwan dollars (95 million US) on a solar cell unit.
Chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) announced last year an investment of about 192 million US dollars for a 20-percent stake in Motech Industries, the island's largest producer of solar cells.
TSMC, the world's top contract microchip maker by revenue, this year invested another 50 million US dollars in an American solar-panel maker.
Taiwan has estimated its solar energy industry to be worth up to 200 billion Taiwan dollars by 2020.
