Taiwan's Daily Polymer Moves Into Green Hydrogen Development

Project Focuses on Solar Photocatalyst Materials That Produce Hydrogen From Water

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Daily Polymer Corp. on Wednesday announced it is entering the green hydrogen technology sector as it seeks long-term growth opportunities in clean energy applications.

President Yang Wen-chung (楊文忠) said the company is developing polymer-based photocatalyst materials that can directly use sunlight to split water and generate hydrogen, which can then be used to generate electricity. He said the approach produces no carbon emissions and could become an important pathway in the future hydrogen economy, according to CTEE.

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Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Kaohsiung, Daily Polymer originally focused on synthetic resins used in coatings and adhesives. It later expanded into liquid crystal materials, while synthetic resins still account for the majority of its revenue, according to MoneyDJ.

Hydrogen Production Pathways

Yang outlined different hydrogen production methods. Gray hydrogen, produced from natural gas, has the highest carbon emissions.

Blue hydrogen reduces emissions through carbon capture and storage. Green hydrogen has near-zero carbon emissions and has become a key focus of global energy policy.

However, Yang noted that current green hydrogen production technologies still face high electricity and equipment costs, limiting large-scale commercial deployment. Photocatalytic hydrogen production, which aims to use solar energy directly without relying on external electricity input, could offer a long-term breakthrough.

Daily Polymer’s research team, working with multiple experts, has reported initial progress in a photocatalytic hydrogen production project that directly uses solar energy and water to generate hydrogen. The process is designed to mimic plant photosynthesis, using semiconductor polymer photocatalyst materials to absorb light energy and trigger water-splitting reactions that produce hydrogen and oxygen.

Yang said solar energy remains an abundant natural resource, noting that the amount of solar radiation reaching Earth in one hour is theoretically enough to meet global energy demand for a year. He expressed hope that better utilization of this resource could help ease long-term energy constraints.

Hydrogen energy refers to using hydrogen as a fuel and is increasingly seen as a potential alternative to fossil fuels. Unlike fossil fuels, hydrogen does not produce carbon emissions at the point of use, according to the Taiwan Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Partnership and Pennsylvania State University.

Green Hydrogen Supply Chain Ambitions

Daily Polymer said its applications will focus on power generation, working with downstream power equipment makers and energy storage operators. The company aims to build an integrated green hydrogen supply chain covering materials and system-level applications.