And why would anyone expect Taiwan to give on this? They don’t benefit at all.

Art of the deal my ass.

Isn't it already failing anyway? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TSMC_Ari…

Edit: arguable, I have no expertise in fab building so hard for me to say if the deviations from the initial plan have meaningful impact. Also my understanding is that it's as much an economical partnership as a political one, namely intertwining Taiwan with the US. It's kind of weakening the "silicon shield" but also create interdependence.

semiconductor fabrication plant in Arizona, United States

^{Contributors to Wikimedia projects (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.)}

they dismissed their own research theconversation.com/why-electr… as saying electric results in less emissions, but on an aggressive solution their own link shows less than half emissions.

Green H2 is only path to 100% renewables because it monetizes surplus renewable energy that has to have surpluses in order to power everything every day.

A large scale, with labour, installation of DC only solar in China costs $500-$800/kw. prior to financing costs this is 1.25 to 2c/kwh 30 year electricity production at 4 sun hours per day. Solar doesn't need to be replaced for 60 years. Every 1% of financing (or ROI step) costs is 0.34 to 0.54c/kwh. China interest rates are under 2%, and providing that financing rate is the greatest subsidy to capex only projects such as solar, that H2 allows 100% guaranteed monetization rates if they are working. 2c-3c/kwh electricity cost.

Alkaline electrolysis are cheaper than PEM. There is great innovation in other technologies as well, but you will need to have it developed/financed in China instead of trying stupid government bribes, or waiting for oil dependent banksters to follow through on support. Alkaline is $250/kw. PEM is targeted with support at $330 next year, but $500/kw near term is certain. Norway's NEL is also around/close to this mark. PEM is more automatable with distilled water, and voltage variations, and 30mpa pressure output, but Alkaline powered by batteries is perfectly fine, with longer lifespans of 60k+ hours, but with a minimal water additive process. This is over 40 years with 10 hours/day use.

At 55kwh/kg of H2, this is opex of $1.10 to $1.65/kg. $250/kw capex over 30000 hours (half of life) is 45c/kg. each 1% financing cost for 3000 production hours/year is 4.5c/kg. Total cost as low as $1.64/kg uncompressed at 2% financing, but $1.73 with direct solar (minimal battery size excluded) only (1500 hours/year). Financing costs determine how little electrolyzers with how big of a battery buffer to keep them running.

Natural gas can make emission free H2 (excluding fugitive methane emissions during transport) through pyrolysis. It also makes pure solid graphite which can be used from tire rubber to graphene, and has economic value to store and trade. OPEX electricity is cut in half (55c - 82c/kg), and no membranes makes the electronics far easier. Water electrolysis can still be better at low electricity costs (it also costs less than NG input). Free land in middle east/Australia/deserts with much more than 4 sun hours/day means even cheaper costs than China with import of Chinese tech. Water and H2 can exist in same pipeline, and so coastal populations can be provided with energy in return for water. Where desalination provides distilled water, PEM gets more attractive as it can operate at higher efficiency with lower voltage (extending total life hours too), and 24 hour operation from battery unless market prices for H2 are high enough to support high production. 24 hour production at 50kwh/kg makes electrolysis of water cost 10c/kg less in opex, and 5c/kg less in financing costs = $1.49/kg (but excluding the battery costs needed to support)

Retail prices at filling stations in Guangdong are already below $4/kg which is $2/gallon equivalent diesel in a fuel cell. There is massive profit opportunity for $2/kg paid to green producers with social infrastructure support (pipelines mainly but also fuel cell use). H2's biggest advantage over electricity is its transportability and storage. $2/kg H2 can provide a home with 10c/kwh electricity in their fuel cell, and 6c/kwh in combined heat/electricity energy where the waste fraction is enough to provide the usual 40% home energy fraction needed for domestic hot water.

There's no reason to nuke electric grid from orbit, but an H2 only economy could provide cheaper electricity to most of the world.

Why electric beats hydrogen in the race to decarbonise freight vehicles in Australia

Modelling shows a shift to electric trucks is the better, faster option for cutting transport emissions under most plausible scenarios in Australia’s energy transition.

^{The Conversation}