Vena Energy, Asia-Pacific’s leading renewable energy company, announced today the premiere of “Harmonizing with the Natural Environment”, a short film that centers on Vena Energy’s 70 MW Mingus Solar Project, and explores the relationship between renewable energy and its host communities within the Chiayi County in Taiwan, and the biodiversity that lives within the purpose-built Ecological Conservation Area. The film was commissioned by Vena Energy, is presented by World Energy Council as part of its “Humanizing Energy” campaign, and produced by BBC StoryWorks, the commercial content division of BBC Global News.
“The Mingus Solar Project represents Vena Energy’s commitment to creating a more sustainable world for our host communities and to its biodiversity through the acceleration of renewable energy across the Asia-Pacific region,” said Nitin Apte, CEO of Vena Energy. “By carefully managing the water levels and maintaining the natural habitat, we observed more than 100 Black-Faced Spoonbills in the past winter, the highest number of its kind ever recorded by the Kaohsiung Wild Bird Society at the Mingus Ecological Conservation Area. We hope that through this film the audiences can have a deeper understanding of the benefits of renewable energy in their daily lives, and how such projects can coexist in harmony with nature and its biodiversity.”
“BBC StoryWorks is delighted to present the incredible story of Vena Energy’s Mingus Solar Project and highlight the intersection of ecological conservation and renewable energy projects. Environment and wildlife conservation are essential aspects of the energy transition, and the development and investment in renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and battery energy storage systems necessitate new conservation strategies,” said Julianne Rooney, Senior Producer, EMEA, BBC StoryWorks.
Completed in July 2019, the Mingus Solar Project covers an area of 79.5 hectares of previously abandoned salt plains, with 24.1 hectares reserved for the Ecological Conservation Area and Mingus Education Centre for local and migratory wild birds, including the endangered Black-Faced Spoonbill. The Mingus Solar Project is capable of supplying up to 18,600 households with clean energy yearly, while reducing more than 64,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and saving up to 91 million litres of water annually, compared to thermal energy generation.
Filmed on location at Chiayi County in Taiwan, the film features a poem commissioned by Vena Energy and written by a renowned local poet, which guides the viewers to witness the Mingus Solar Project through the perspectives of those who work at and live around the project. The film also alludes to the transformation of the once-abandoned salt-plains through the narratives of a local fisherman, and the hope that the project brings to future generations through sustainable energy.
The film can also be viewed via World Energy Council and BBC.com.
