US President Donald Trump's aggressive tariff policies have prompted countries worldwide to vie for priority negotiation opportunities. Among them, the UK was the first to secure a trade agreement with the US, covering sectors such as automobiles, steel, and aluminum. Julian Hetherington, director of Automotive Transformation at Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) UK, recently visited Taiwan's industry sector and shared insights exclusively with DIGITIMES, revealing the secrets behind the UK-US consensus.
Taiwan has officially marked the end of nuclear power with the decommissioning of the No. 2 reactor at Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant in May 2025. Renewables have now become the core element in Taiwan's energy policy and the focus of industrial investments, as the island seeks to fill its energy gap and move toward carbon neutrality.
Taiwan officially ended its commercial nuclear power generation on May 17, 2025, with the decommissioning of Unit 2 at the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant in the Pingtung county. The move marks a pivotal moment in the government's drive for a "non-nuclear homeland," shifting the island's energy landscape. With nuclear power now phased out, fossil fuels are set to take center stage in Taiwan's energy future.
Google has recently ramped up its procurement in Taiwan's renewable energy sector, securing solar, offshore wind, and geothermal power in rapid succession. The moves mark a significant vote of confidence in the island's green energy market and reflect the tech giant's ambition to power its global operations entirely with carbon-free energy by 2030.
Japan's behind-the-meter energy storage market is entering a period of significant policy benefits. Driven by subsidy programs and residential demand, the market is rapidly heating up with simultaneous growth in applications and distribution channels. Taiwan-based energy IoT platform provider NextDrive has strategically positioned itself ahead of this trend, recently announcing partnerships with leading Japanese home energy storage brand Choshu Industry (CIC) and Hanwha Japan, boosting its market share ranking to third place with plans to challenge for second place in 2025.
Formosa Smart Energy Tech, a subsidiary of Formosa Plastics Group, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with GE Vernova to form a strategic alliance focused on hybrid power and energy storage systems. The partnership aims to combine Formosa's lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery expertise with GE Vernova's global experience in gas-fired power and energy storage technologies.
Sino-American Silicon Products Group has formed a joint venture with India's Premier Energies to produce silicon wafers for solar cells in India, acquiring a 26% stake in the new entity, according to a company statement Monday.
Facing a critical turning point in 2026, Taiwanese manufacturers are under growing pressure to improve carbon transparency. That year, Taiwan's Ministry of Environment will begin collecting carbon fees, while the European Union will fully implement its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) following the end of its transitional phase. The changes will significantly impact companies that fail to account for their emissions accurately.
Amid rising energy demands driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and data infrastructure, major US tech companies are increasingly turning to nuclear energy—including next-generation options like small modular reactors (SMRs). Now, the US is signaling it's ready to help Taiwan explore similar technologies—if the island is willing.
With Taiwan officially phasing out nuclear power, attention is turning to next-generation alternatives such as small modular reactors (SMRs) and nuclear fusion. Industry leaders tout these technologies as potential solutions for clean energy and energy security. However, scholars warn that both remain far from being commercially viable, especially fusion, which some call an "artificial sun."
These are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of May 12 – May 18. From China's push in DUV lithography and Samsung's resurgence in foundry orders to TSMC's aggressive fab expansion and Europe's looming ban on Chinese inverters, the week highlighted shifting power dynamics across the global tech and semiconductor landscape.
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