Taiwan government has got plan to invest in the new energy industry and to develop it into another industry with annual output value exceeding NT$1 trillion, according to the Flagship Plan For The New Energy Industry which is scheduled to be launched by the Cabinet on April 23. Photovoltaic and LED lighting will be stressed as two mainstays in the industry.

The flagship plan will aim to boost the output value of the new energy industry to NT$1.16 trillion by 2015, up from NT$160 billion now. It will follow the biotech and tourism to be the third development plan launched by the Executive Yuan for the six emerging industries. Except for photovoltaic and LED lighting, there are five other branches in the new energy industry, including wind power, bio-fuel, hydrogen energy and fuel cell, energy information/communication, and electric car.

The new energy industry has been given development priority by the government, and will be included in the priority investment list of the National Development Fund, according to officials in charge.

In addition, a NT$50 billion fund will be used in installing green-energy devices as part of the government’s NT$500 billion budget for expanded infrastructural projects in the next four years, according to Fan Liangyu, chairman of Public Construction Commission.

Besides investing into the industry, the flagship plan also will include other supports for the development of the new energy industry. For instance, the government plans to help domestic photovoltaic firms improve the energy conversion rate of their products, which still lags behind international level, and assist mid-stream LED module makers establishing independent technologies as well as joining hands with mainland China in establishing cross-Taiwan Strait LED lighting standards.