The government’s energy transition plan depends on the construction of the proposed third liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal off the coast of Datan Borough (大潭) in Taoyuan’s Guanyin District (觀音) to increase LNG power generation, Minister of Economic Affairs (MOEA) Wang Mei-hua (王美花) said yesterday.
“If we do not have the third LNG terminal as planned, we will not be able to reach 50 percent electricity generation from natural gas and 30 percent electricity generation from coal” by 2025, Wang said at a meeting of the legislature’s Economics Committee in Taipei.
In December last year, 41.5 percent of Taiwan’s electricity came from coal-fired plants, 40.1 percent from natural gas, 14.4 percent from nuclear power and 5.8 percent from renewables, Bureau of Energy data showed.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
The government plans to phase out nuclear power by 2025, reduce the use of coal to 30 percent and boost renewables to 20 percent.
The two existing LNG receiving terminals are already running at full capacity, necessitating the third LNG terminal, Wang said.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) asked Wang whether the ministry has a backup plan if a referendum to block the terminal plan prevails.
“As of now, there is no plan B,” Wang said. “The MOEA calls for the swift construction of the third LNG terminal to reduce the amount of coal burned.”
“Gas from the third LNG terminal would fulfill the power needs of 10 million Taiwanese and close the power gap in the north of Taiwan,” Wang said. “This would allow us to generate power where it is used, lowering systemic risk.”
LNG power generation releases approximately 50 percent less greenhouse gas than coal-fired power generation, and much fewer pollutants.
The 5,824 megawatt Taichung Power Plant is the third-largest coal-fired plant in the world and is often fined by the Taichung City Government for using too much coal.
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