Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) yesterday said it plans to spend NT$9.26 billion (US$286.13 million) to reduce emissions of PM2.5 by 20 percent from its coal-fired power plant in Taichung by 2020.
PM2.5 is fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. It has been cited as a major source of the worsening air pollution in central and southern Taiwan.
Taipower has formed a task force of 50 employees to handle the matter after emissions from its coal-fired power plant were blamed for poor air quality in Taichung, the company said.
“Emissions from Taipower’s power plant are not the sole reason for the air pollution in Taichung, but the company will make great efforts to boost the efficiency of power generation at the plant and to help improve air quality,” Taipower said in a statement.
The state-run company said the funds would be used to improve the functioning of boilers, electrostatic precipitators and desulfurization technology, which would help reduce the amount of carbon left unburned and raise the efficiency of dust collection.
Taipower said it expects to reduce emissions of sulfur oxide by 48 percent, nitrogen oxide by 34 percent and PM2.5 by 21 percent by 2020.
In addition, Taipower said it has reached a preliminary consensus with the Taichung City Government to lower the output of its coal-fired power plant when the PM2.5 reading reaches 71 micrograms per cubic meter at six of the city’s 16 monitoring stations.
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