A five-year, NT$8.09 billion (US$273.6 million) project to turn Penghu into a world-class low-carbon island was formally launched on Tuesday.
“The project represents a major milestone in the development of Taiwan and Penghu,” Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-shiang (施顏祥) said at the launch ceremony.
The initiative, centered around the installation of 96 megawatt wind power generators, is aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions by more than 50 percent in 2015 from 2005 levels, to 2.1 tonnes per person per year from 5.4 tonnes, Shih said.
Photo: CNA
Renewable energy will account for 56 percent of the county’s total energy demand by 2015, he said, and when the wind turbines produce excess electricity, it will be transmitted and sold to Taiwan proper via an underwater cable.
A key feature of the plan is to invite the Penghu County -Government and local residents to become stakeholders in the project.
They are expected to acquire a 55 percent share of the company that will operate the wind farm, with the rest open to outside investors.
Enercon GmbH from Germany, Vestas Wind Systems A/S from Denmark and Taiwan Cogeneration Corp have all expressed interest, the county government said.
As part of the plan, Penghu’s only thermal power plant, the Jianshan Power Plant, will be closed in 2015 and turned into a transformer station.
Penghu County Commissioner Wang Chien-fa (王乾發) said the strong northeast monsoon has been a curse on the county’s efforts to develop tourism, but it will now be a godsend.
During the summer, when winds are mild, the island county will rely on electricity transmitted from Taiwan proper via a 58.8km underwater cable connecting Kouhu (口湖) in Yunlin County on Taiwan’s western coast and Jianshan (尖山) in Penghu.
However, in the winter when winds are powerful, Penghu will be able to sell excess electricity to Taiwan, Wang said.
The plan also incorporates other energy-efficient equipment. The Ministry of Economic Affairs will spend NT$400 million this year to help install solar panels at bus stops and schools, smart meters for 2,106 households and provide 4,000 LED street lamps, as well as purchase 6,000 electric motorcycles. It will also promote B2 biodiesel fuel around the county.
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) today condemned the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) after the Czech officials confirmed that Chinese agents had surveilled Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) during her visit to Prague in March last year. Czech Military Intelligence director Petr Bartovsky yesterday said that Chinese operatives had attempted to create the conditions to carry out a demonstrative incident involving Hsiao, going as far as to plan a collision with her car. Hsiao was vice president-elect at the time. The MAC said that it has requested an explanation and demanded a public apology from Beijing. The CCP has repeatedly ignored the desires
Many Chinese spouses required to submit proof of having renounced their Chinese household registration have either completed the process or provided affidavits ahead of the June 30 deadline, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said on Thursday. Of the 12,146 people required to submit the proof, 5,534 had done so as of Wednesday, MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. Another 2,572 people who met conditions for exemption or deferral from submitting proof of deregistration — such as those with serious illnesses or injuries — have submitted affidavits instead, he said. “As long as individuals are willing to cooperate with the legal
The Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant’s license has expired and it cannot simply be restarted, the Executive Yuan said today, ahead of national debates on the nuclear power referendum. The No. 2 reactor at the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County was disconnected from the nation’s power grid and completely shut down on May 17, the day its license expired. The government would prioritize people’s safety and conduct necessary evaluations and checks if there is a need to extend the service life of the reactor, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) told a news conference. Lee said that the referendum would read: “Do
The Ministry of Environment yesterday held a seminar in Taipei for experts from Taiwan and Japan to exchange their experiences on the designs and development of public toilets. Japan Toilet Association chairman Kohei Yamamoto said that he was impressed with the eco-toilet set up at Daan Forest Park, adding that Japan still faces issues regarding public restrooms despite the progress it made over the past decades. For example, an all-gender toilet was set up in Kabukicho in Tokyo’s Shinjuku District several years ago, but it caused a public backlash and was rebuilt into traditional men’s and women’s toilets, he said. Japan Toilet Association
RSS