Preface
In this highly digitalized era, the stable operation of critical infrastructures has become a top priority to maintain national security, social stability, and economic livelihoods. However, these infrastructures can be severely affected by natural disasters, human negligence, military threats, or terrorist attacks. Power and communication systems, in particular, are vital, and any issue in these areas can lead to disastrous consequences.
In the case of the power system, an accident at Taiwan’s Hsinta Electric Power Plant in 2022 caused a major power outage that affected 5.49 million households. The losses for the industrial parks under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economic Affairs exceeded NT$800 million. In the U.S., 185 physical attacks or threats against critical grid infrastructures were reported in 2023. These figures highlight the importance of grid safety and the challenges ahead.
Communications systems are also facing serious threats. In the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the attack by Russian hackers on the US satellite service provider Viasat not only led to the disruption of communications in Ukraine but also affected communications services and remote control of wind turbines in many European countries. This incident reminds us that in the age of digitalization, information security is an important component of national security.
The threats of natural disasters to infrastructures should not be overlooked either. The 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake caused large-scale power outages, communications disruptions, and road damages, making rescue and recovery difficult. This is yet another reminder of the urgency of improving the resilience of infrastructure in the face of extreme climate and geological disasters.
Reducing the Financial Impact of Power Disruptions and Building Microgrids for Reliable Power Supply
Governments and research organizations are actively seeking solutions to ensure power system stability. The U.S. Department of Energy defines the microgrid as “a group of interconnected loads and distributed energy resources within clearly defined electrical boundaries that acts as a single controllable entity with respect to the grid.” In power systems, microgrid technology is crucial for improving the reliability of power supply. A microgrid is a small, independently operated power supply network that manages supply and demand on the main grid during normal operation and ensures continuous power to critical infrastructure during main grid outages. This technology significantly minimizes the damage caused by unpredicted power outages and provides a backup solution in case of emergencies.
Communications Disruption Affects People’S Livelihoods, and We Should Prepare Diversified Alternative Communication Solutions
Communications disruptions or system underloading can impact Taiwan’s economy and national security. For example, the Taiwan-Kinmen and Taiwan-Matsu submarine cable has been repeatedly severed more than 29 times over the past six years. Repairs take months and cost a lot. Although microwave and satellite communications can be used for emergency contact, they cannot meet essential needs.
Communications resilience has thereby become a key policy objective for many governments. For instance, Japan’s vision toward “Realizing the Resilient and Sound Data Flow Society for the New Era” has driven the development of a disaster-proof communications network and a variety of communications alternatives. Similarly, the Australian government has invested heavily in the Telecommunications Disaster Resilience Innovation (TDRI) program to strengthen satellite connectivity and power recovery solutions. These policies provide valuable insights for Taiwan.
ITRI’s 2035 Technology Strategy & Roadmap: Normal Operation of National Infrastructures in a Resilient Society
ITRI’s 2035 Technology Strategy and Roadmap lists “Resilient Society'” as one of the five major application domains, demonstrating the importance of infrastructure resilience. This strategy targets risk prevention and preparedness for public safety, and advances solutions and technologies for risk warning, rapid response, backup, and accelerated recovery for national infrastructures such as transportation, communications, networks, and power.
ITRI’s Multiple Microgrid Technologies Offer Intelligent, Diversified, Decentralized, and Substitutable Advantages
Specifically, ITRI is developing multiple microgrid resilience technologies to leverage their intelligent, diversified, decentralized, and substitutable advantages to build society’s ability to alert, respond to, prepare for, and recover from unexpected risks. Based on the regional energy microgrid demonstration system in the ITRI Southern Region Campus, ITRI has completed a solar power generation system, an energy storage system, high-voltage power transmission facilities, and a regional power management platform. The system supports the large power grid as a virtual power plant during normal operations and can rapidly switch to a distributed resource for autonomous power supply in the event of a catastrophic power outage, demonstrating a high degree of agility and resilience.
Constructing a Space-Air-Ground Network and a Resilient Communications Service Ecosystem
To improve communication resilience, ITRI plans to integrate satellite, non-terrestrial and terrestrial communications to establish a dynamic network. In the short term, ITRI is committed to meeting communication needs in emergency situations; in the long term, it will move toward full coverage ground-air integration in the 6G networks. Among them, the High Altitude Base Station (HAPS) technology particularly gains attention. Based on this technology, ITRI developed an airship solution that excels in endurance, cargo capacity, and cost. This innovation can be used to quickly deploy temporary communication links during wars or disasters to assist in emergency dispatching and monitoring tasks.
ITRI is also actively developingspace communications technology and is working on the communications payload for Taiwan’s first homegrown autonomous communications satellite. This technology is expected to enable the launch of B5G low-orbit satellites in 2027 at the earliest. The launch will validate the Taiwan-developed communications payloads and establish Taiwan as an R&D center and manufacturing hub for satellite components, terrestrial communications equipment, and chips.
Conclusion
Infrastructure resilience is the cornerstone of daily operations in a highly digitized world reliant on power and communications, especially when considering risk factors such as extreme climate, geologic activity, and geopolitical threats. Once an accident paralyzes operations, both government and economic activities will come to a screeching halt. Therefore, the construction of power grids and communication facilities should feature intelligent deployment, diversification, decentralization, and substitutability. Rapid respond and adjustment under any circumstances will ensure infrastructure resilience.
