Of the 82 wind turbines that make up Taiwan Power Co's (Taipower, (台電) wind-powered energy generation plans, as many as 51 turbines have at one time or another been inoperative.
Taipower blames the high rate of malfunctioning on Taiwan’s hot climate and lack of supporting equipment. The high rate of breakdown is a significant setback to the implementation of the government’s renewable energy policy.
To meet government targets for clean energy, Taipower planned to invest NT$19 billion (US$624 million) in 180 wind turbines, with a total capacity of 330,000 kilowatts, between 2003 and 2010. However, to date, only 82 have been completed, with the malfunction rate reaching a high 62 percent.
Taipower said that, of the malfunctioning turbines, three were manufactured by GE, 22 by Harakosan and six by Gamesa. Most of the turbines are distributed along the western shoreline.
In terms of generation, the 82 completed turbines have generated 560 million kilowatt-hours of electricity. At NT$2 per kilowatt-hour, the turbines have generated NT$1.12 billion, a miniscule sum compared with its investment of nearly NT$10 billion.
As for capacity utilization, only the turbines in Penghu County and Changhua County were able to operate at 47 percent and 35 percent respectively. In other areas, such as in Shihmen (石門), Taipei County, and Hengchun (恆春), Pingtung County, the turbines were operating at less than 30 percent capacity.
Commenting on the major problems surrounding wind power generation, an unnamed director from Taipower described the situation as “utterly ridiculous.” Some Taipower staff also questioned the fact that the department in charge of wind-power generation had not been held responsible nor faced disciplinary action.
Sources say that the 51 faulty turbines were all contract based on the most advantageous, rather than the lowest, bids.
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
RSS