A machinery problem yesterday caused a generator at Taichung Power Plant to trip, state-run Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) said.
The No. 7 generator of the coal-fired plant tripped at 9:25am because of low vacuity of the steam condenser system, which triggered the machine’s safety protection mechanism, Taipower spokesman Lin Te-fu (林德福) said.
The suspension cut the power supply by 500,000 kilowatts (kW) yesterday, but the glitch was repaired and the affected generator was restarted at 12:35pm, Lin said.
As a result, the power supply for the day did not flash a red alert, which signals operating reserve margins of below 900,000kW, Lin said when asked if the nation would have to prepare for electricity rationing that day.
Taiwan has been fearing a power rationing crisis since Typhoon Nesat and Tropical Storm Haitang last weekend brought down a transmission tower in Yilan County that is operated by independent power producer Ho-Ping Power Co (和平電廠).
The incident has reduced supply by 1.3 million kilowatts, forcing the government on Monday to take the unusual measure of urging the public sector to shut down all air conditioners in its offices from 1pm to 3pm for two weeks.
According to the latest Taipower data, at 4:20pm yesterday, the operating reserve margin reached 4.14 percent of capacity.
Zhang Yazhou was sitting in the passenger seat of her Tesla Model 3 when she said she heard her father’s panicked voice: The brakes do not work. Approaching a red light, her father swerved around two cars before plowing into a sport utility vehicle and a sedan, and crashing into a large concrete barrier. Stunned, Zhang gazed at the deflating airbag in front of her. She could never have imagined what was to come: Tesla Inc sued her for defamation for complaining publicly about the vehicles brakes — and won. A Chinese court ordered Zhang to pay more than US$23,000 in
‘LEGACY CHIPS’: Chinese companies have dramatically increased mature chip production capacity, but the West’s drive for secure supply chains offers a lifeline for Taiwan When Powerchip Technology Corp (力晶科技) entered a deal with the eastern Chinese city of Hefei in 2015 to set up a new chip foundry, it hoped the move would help provide better access to the promising Chinese market. However, nine years later, that Chinese foundry, Nexchip Semiconductor Corp (合晶集成), has become one of its biggest rivals in the legacy chip space, leveraging steep discounts after Beijing’s localization call forced Powerchip to give up the once-lucrative business making integrated circuits for Chinese flat panels. Nexchip is among Chinese foundries quickly winning market share in the crucial US$56.3 billion industry of so-called legacy
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday held its first board of directors meeting in the US, at which it did not unveil any new US investments despite mounting tariff threats from US President Donald Trump. Trump has threatened to impose 100 percent tariffs on Taiwan-made chips, prompting market speculation that TSMC might consider boosting its chip capacity in the US or ramping up production of advanced chips such as those using a 2-nanometer technology process at its Arizona fabs ahead of schedule. Speculation also swirled that the chipmaker might consider building its own advanced packaging capacity in the US as part
‘NO DISRUPTION’: A US trade association said that it was ready to work with the US administration to streamline the program’s requirements and achieve shared goals The White House is seeking to renegotiate US CHIPS and Science Act awards and has signaled delays to some upcoming semiconductor disbursements, two sources familiar with the matter told reporters. The people, along with a third source, said that the new US administration is reviewing the projects awarded under the 2022 law, meant to boost US domestic semiconductor output with US$39 billion in subsidies. Washington plans to renegotiate some of the deals after assessing and changing current requirements, the sources said. The extent of the possible changes and how they would affect agreements already finalized was not immediately clear. It was not known