Google to build 10MW geothermal plant to fuel Taiwan chip dream near China’s doorstep
This will be Google’s first geothermal power plant in the Asia Pacific region.
To supply power to its local data centers and offices, Google has announced its first corporate power purchase agreement (PPA) with global geothermal developer Baseload Capital to develop a geothermal power plant in Taiwan.
This will be Google’s first geothermal power plant in the Asia Pacific region.
The move comes when Google is preparing to partner with Taiwan’s MediaTek to develop the next version of its AI chips, Tensor Processing Units.
10MW geothermal energy
According to a press release by Google, the partnership’s initial projects will add 10 MW of clean energy to the grid, doubling Taiwan’s current geothermal capacity in commercial operation.
Once operational in 2029, the projects will supply capacity to help power local data center operations and offices.
Google said geothermal energy, which taps into underground heat to generate clean electricity, is an “around-the-clock” energy source with significant potential for places like Taiwan.
With its unique geological position along the Pacific Ring of Fire, the company added that Taiwan has access to substantial geothermal resources, offering stable and reliable baseload power to complement variable renewable energy technologies like solar and wind.