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Energy Use in the Sugar Industry in Colonial Taiwan (1895–1945)


This paper discusses energy use in the Taiwanese sugar industry under Japanese colonial rule (1895–1945) and reconsiders the “unilinear energy shift” from organic resources to fossil resources. Although the sugar industry could obtain much of its energy from bagasse, it had to procure supplementary energy sources, such as firewood and coal from energy markets. Furthermore, technological improvements made by the sugar industry resulted in increased demand for these supplementary energy sources. Companies improved supply by increasing the range of procurement options according to the fluctuation of relative prices between resources or by improving procurement methods through negotiating with seller and transporter, and they lowered demand through the introduction of energy-saving technologies. As a result of each company pursuing the “optimal energy mix” in response to its own business environment (corporate culture, location, and management strategy), energy consumption did not converge on coal as a single source but diversified.