Google has announced its first-ever power purchase agreement (PPA) for geothermal energy in the East Asian country of Taiwan.
The initial projects, developed by Baseload Capital, will add 10MW of power to the grid, with the partnership also including an equity investment in the company.
Geothermal energy taps into underground heat to generate clean electricity and is an “around-the-clock” energy source, believed to have significant potential in Taiwan.
With its unique geological position along the Pacific Ring of Fire, Google suggests Taiwan has access to “substantial geothermal resources”, offering stable and reliable baseload power to complement variable renewable energy technologies like solar and wind.
The project will contribute to Taiwan’s goal to install 6GW of geothermal capacity by 2050.
Google states: “Since 2019, Baseload Capital’s subsidiary, Baseload Power Taiwan, has been actively conducting local geothermal resource exploration, engaging closely with local communities and working with the Taiwan Government to improve the regulatory and permitting framework for geothermal energy.
“Google’s support of these geothermal projects will help build the local workforce and expertise, supply chain and infrastructure to unlock lower costs and faster deployment of future projects.”
The latest agreement follows a recent partnership to support 1GW of solar development in the country.
