Taiwan’s first deep geothermal plant could receive a decision by 2028

Taiwan’s deep geothermal ambitions have received a boost after CPC Corporation found a 200°C underground temperature at its second exploration well in Yilan County.

The Dongshan No. 1 well reached a depth of 3,361 meters. CPC said its initial assessment showed potential for deep geothermal power generation. The company plans to drill two horizontal confirmation wells next year, with the work expected to take about a year.

Those wells will expand the area surveyed beneath the surface. CPC will then conduct water injection and pumping tests to determine the size and energy capacity of the underground heat reservoir, and whether it can support commercial power generation. The results could confirm by 2028 whether the site is suitable for Taiwan’s first deep geothermal plant.

The project still faces a legal issue. Horizontal or directional wells may pass beneath land owned by other people, raising questions about property rights and landowner interests. Taiwan’s Energy Administration is revising the Renewable Energy Development Act to address the issue.

Energy Administration Director Wu Chih-wei said the proposed changes would mean landowners could not block geothermal drilling deeper than 300 meters. The Cabinet has approved the amendment, which will next go to the Legislative Yuan. CPC expects to complete procurement for the next drilling work by the end of this year, but the horizontal wells depend on passage of the legal changes.

If testing confirms commercial value, CPC plans to drill eight additional development wells. That work could take 2.5 to three years and finish as early as the end of 2031, after which the company would begin establishing the deep geothermal plant.