Hsinchu County Magistrate Yang Wen-ke led a delegation of County Government officials and Hsinchu Gas Company employees to Singapore to inspect natural gas energy practices there. Today (August 18), the delegation met with Singapore’s City Energy association and natural gas industry associations. With both Singapore and Taiwan being island nations, and both faced with limited energy resources and moving toward saving energy and reducing carbon, each has a lot to learn from the other. The delegation learned about how Singapore maintains its stable energy supply, keeps storage facilities safe, and is responding to the 2050 Net Zero Carbon Emissions targets – all of which will help Hsinchu Gas Company to enhance construction projects and services.
Magistrate Yang stated that, in his nearly seven years as County Magistrate and Chairperson of Hsinchu Gas, he has on the one hand required that Hsinchu Gas comply with County Government plans, and policies such as extending gas service to outlying villages. He has also required Hsinchu Gas to apply balanced local development, and to provide superior service with “customer utmost, and safety first”. But also, he has required that there be a stable supply of natural gas and safe ways for the public to use it. The County Government has been considering how to align with the artificial intelligence age by using scientific thinking and facilities to enhance gas safety and further perfect services.
Hsinchu County Government Secretary General Lee Anyu pointed out that Hsinchu County is taking concrete steps to implement the Net Zero transformation, and has already demonstrated a diverse array of results in terms of climate action. To respond to the Ministry of Environment’s 2050 Net Zero emissions goals, this visit to Singapore has promoted exchanges on Singapore’s response measures and programs. In the future, the County Government will continue unceasingly refining the climate action strategy, to make Hsinchu County a sustainable, livable city with both industrial development, cultural education, and natural harmony.
This visit was focused on the gas metering facilities that Singapore uses; the widespread use of smart meters; periodic safety inspections for users; maintenance for transport and storage facilities; and Singapore’s plan for responding to the Net Zero emissions goals. The delegation also visited an exhibit on natural gas in Singapore. The exhibit includes installations on how natural gas is used in everyday life, using situational design that puts visitors in realistic scenarios. Add in interactive experiences, and all the visitors remark that it’s “totally real!”
In 2000, Singapore started gradually moving from oil-based to natural gas-based power generation, and as a result, Singapore’s reliance on natural gas is growing day by day. Hsinchu Gas Company considers this visit highly important; General Manager Chiu Shih-chang took full advantage of this visit to bring the valuable experiences shared by the Singaporean natural gas operators back to Taiwan, where the knowledge will be used to refine how the Gas Company implements construction and service.