Under the technological programs promoted by Department of Industrial Technology, Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), Metal Industries Research & Development Centre (MIRDC) has focused on developing technologies for industrial high-pressure hydrogen combustion along with hydrogen storage and transportation. MIRDC’s efforts aim to tackle the issues of high carbon emissions resulting from the domestic industrial burning of fossil fuels in the manufacturing process and to reduce the risks generated from hydrogen combustion. In the promotion of domestic industrial combustion, MIRDC has completed its development of an industrial burner that blends 25% of hydrogen with natural gas. Moreover, MIRDC has also collaborated with Taiwan’s boiler giant, Zu How Industry Co., Ltd., to construct the first hydrogen-mixed combustion boiler in Taiwan.
Hydrogen is a critical strategic energy in Taiwan's pursuit of achieving net-zero emissions and carbon reduction. The first hydrogen-mixed boiler for industrial applications is set to be built through the collaboration between MIRDC and Zu How Industry. In 2023, this boiler passed inspection on heating processes and met requirements of environmental regulations. In 2024, in response to the needs of heating processes and applications for industrial hydrogen storage and transportation, MIRDC and Zu How Industry will establish a demonstration site for industrial hydrogen-mixed boilers, assisting domestic industries of high-temperature heating processes with reducing carbon emissions and producing low-carbon products.
MIRDC is dedicated to collaborating with hydrogen-related industries in constructing a solid keystone of domestic hydrogen industry. Since last year, MIRDC has signed MOUs for alliances with 17 industries and educational institutes. Through collaboration and interchange among partners, it is hoped that domestic hydrogen industries can be established sooner. In the future, MIRDC will further expand the scope of the alliance by inviting more key players to collaborate, including gas industry, metal material industry, boiler industry, equipment manufacturing industry, fitting and valve industry, industry end users of hydrogen energy, and so forth. In addition, MIRDC will organize regular interchange events to facilitate the development of industrial applications in hydrogen-related industries in Taiwan.
During the Net Zero City Expo, MIRDC hosted the International Seminar on Hydrogen Technology. At the seminar, Lin-Chu Chang, General Manager of Zu How Industry, announced that they would introduce hydrogen-mixed boilers constructed with the technologies of MIRDC. Hsiang-Wei Ho, Section Chief of Department of Industrial Technology, MOEA, attended this event to offer guidance and observe the outcomes of interdisciplinary collaboration among domestic industries, academia, and research institutions. In addition to presenting the collaborative development process of technologies among industries, this seminar also invited hydrogen experts from Sandia National Laboratories, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the University of Sydney, Gyeongsang National University, and more, to share their insights through speeches. Representatives of relevant industries in Taiwan attended to learn from these experts and interchange ideas on the development and applications of hydrogen technologies. The success of this event demonstrated that hydrogen industries in Taiwan proactively seek for development opportunities and play pivotal roles in hydrogen-related fields to contribute to the global advancement of sustainable energies.