Taipei is building its first solar power plant using ground-mounted solar panels at a former landfill, the city government said yesterday.
The project is part of the capital’s efforts to expand the use of renewable energy.
The Taipei Department of Environmental Protection yesterday signed a contract with Taipei-based Tatung, one of Taiwan’s leading brands for energy saving and “green” energy-related systems and services, at a ceremony at Fudekeng Environmental Restoration Park (福德坑復育公園), where the solar power plant is to be built.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
The 37 hectare park in the Muzha (木柵) area on the southeastern edge of the city used to be a landfill.
The solar power plant is expected to be completed by the end of this year and is to be able to generate up to 2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, the Taipei Department of Environmental Protection said.
Speaking at the ceremony, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said that renewable energy sources generate about 487 million kilowatt-hours of electricity for Taipei, which accounts for only 3 percent of the city’s total power consumption.
The city is aiming to increase the contribution by renewable energy sources to 10 percent of its total power generation by the end of 2025, Ko said.
To that end, the city government is to use public land to develop solar power systems and will also subsidize the private sector to install solar power facilities to encourage wider use of solar energy, Ko said.
The new plant is expected to cut 18,905 tonnes of carbon emissions in the city annually, the department said.
The park is spacious and receives sufficient sunlight, department Commissioner Liou Ming-lone (劉銘龍) said, citing the latter as one of the reasons that it was chosen as the location for the plant.
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are