Solar module maker United Renewable Energy Co (URE, 聯合再生) yesterday held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new ground-mounted solar farm in Yilan County’s Luodong Township (羅東).
The plant is part of 200 megawatts (MW) of solar projects URE has won so far this year in Taiwan.
The firm expects to generate stable earnings by operating solar farms, after experiencing volatility in the solar cell and solar module manufacturing industry.
The solar projects, mostly for government agencies, are expected to spur demand for URE’s solar modules, it said.
The projects involve more than 500MW of solar farms in Tainan, as well as Changhua, Pingtung, Yilan and Yunlin counties.
The solar farm in Yilan would be the biggest ground-mounted solar facility in Taiwan when it starts operations in the first half of next year, URE said in a statement.
The facility would have an installed capacity of 10MW, allowing it to generate energy that is sufficient to power 3,500 households for a year and reduce carbon emissions by 6,242 tonnes, it said.
URE’s fully owned subsidiary Yong Liang Ltd (永梁) would be responsible for the project’s construction, operation and maintenance.
The unit has secured several contracts to develop solar farms with total installed capacity of 40.5MW, URE said.
With a rebound in solar power demand, URE expects its factory utilization rise to 100 percent in the third quarter, from 50 to 60 percent now, and plans to invest NT$150 million to NT$200 million this year to build a new solar module plant in Tainan, it said.
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