The government should stop planning coal-fired facilities at the Shenao Power Plant and instead consider a geothermal energy plant, environmentalist Kao Cheng-yan (高成炎) told an annual meeting of Taiwanese non-governmental organizations (NGOs) yesterday.
This year’s meeting, the 15th of its kind, was titled “Sustainable Taiwan, Civil Actions” and co-organized by the Life Conservationist Association, the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union and other environmental NGOs.
Many discussion topics at the meeting revolved around the nation’s energy policy, especially the planned coal-fired Shenao plant organized by state-run Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) in New Taipei City’s Rueifang District (瑞芳).
The construction project has sparked much criticism since March 14, when it passed an Environmental Protection Administration environmental impact assessment amid opposition by the New Taipei City Government and civic groups.
The Shenao plant must be built to meet the north’s electricity demand, 4 percent of which is now transmitted from power plants in the central and southern regions, Minister Without Portfolio Chang Ching-sen (張景森) said in a radio interview on Friday.
Kao, who was one of two people to be granted a lifetime achievement award at this year’s meeting, yesterday urged the government to replace the two coal-fired generators planned at the Shenao plant with geothermal facilities in a bid to avoid more air pollution and carbon emissions from coal combustion.
The plant’s planned location is only about 7km from the volcanic Keelung Islet (基隆嶼) and is thus well-situated to host a geothermal plant, he said.
Taipower has been working to increase and diversify the power supply, but it has put little effort toward improving its management of power demand, said former national policy adviser Rex How (郝明義), who delivered a keynote address at the meeting.
The utility has promised to install “smart” electricity meters in 200,000 households by the end of this year, but by the end of last year had only installed such devices in 10,351 households, How said, adding that a total of 1.3 million households still need to be fitted with the meters.
More power plants would be built if the utility does not advance its management of power demand, How added.
The other recipient of the life achievement award was Wen Hai-chen (文海珍), president of the Tsaoshan Ecology, Culture and History Alliance, who was honored for her efforts since 2001 to protect land in Taipei’s Yangmingshan National Park (陽明山國家公園) against an urban redevelopment project.
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
The Taiwan Experience Education Program (TEEP) has funded short-term internships in Taiwan for more than 4,500 young people from more than 40 countries since 2015, with the goal of attracting and retaining international talent, the Ministry of Education said yesterday. Fifty-five colleges launched 514 projects this year, including in fields such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, medicine and biotechnology, green energy, and sustainability, it said. The program provides research and practical internships in Taiwan for two to six months, and offers cultural exchange and networking opportunities, the ministry said. For example, National Formosa University’s Embedded System and Autopilot Laboratory developed two solar-powered drones in
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
Taipei resident Mu Chu-hua caught some glimpses of China’s mighty military parade on YouTube on Wednesday. As she watched hypersonic missiles roll down Beijing’s Changan Avenue and troops march in lockstep, she did not feel like they posed a threat to Taiwan. Mu, a 69-year-old retiree, said she saw the parade as simply a way for Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to “say thank you to the troops.” “I thought it was quite normal,” she said. “It was very cool.” China’s military parade commemorating the end of World War II was being watched internationally for insights into Beijing’s military advances and its show
RSS