Four liquified natural gas (LNG) projects are expected to be completed within six years to meet electricity demand as Taiwan successively phases out its three nuclear power plants, the Bureau of Energy said yesterday.
The increase in LNG generation capacity and the phasing out of nuclear energy, as well as some older coal-fired power plants, are in line with Taiwan’s energy transition policy, which projects LNG’s share to rise to 50 percent, and renewables to 20 percent, while coal is to fall to 30 percent of the nation’s power generation.
State-run Taiwan Power Co (台電) is to invest NT$467 billion (US$16.64 billion) in the four projects, which would increase the nation’s generation capacity by 12.22 gigawatts (GW), the bureau said.
A total of 10 combined cycle generators are planned for installation. Combined cycle gas generators run a second turbine with steam exhaust, allowing for better efficiency in electricity generation.
Bureau Deputy Director-General Lee Chun-li (李君禮) said the nation plans to build three new LNG terminals, starting with the proposed third terminal off the coast of Datan Borough (大潭) in Taoyuan’s Guanyin District (觀音). The terminal, on which a referendum is to be held in December, is critical to Taiwan’s energy transition, he said.
“We currently have only two LNG terminals and they are operating at above 100 percent capacity,” Lee said. “We are relying on the successful completion of the third LNG terminal, or else our LNG plants would be like guns without bullets.”
The other two LNG terminals are “still earlier in their development,” but will eventually alleviate the operation capacity of Taiwan’s LNG terminals, he said.
“Ideally, we do not want them to be operating at 100 percent or above, there should be a margin for error,” he added.
According to bureau projections, Taiwan’s electricity demand is due to grow by 2.5 percent annually every year until 2027 on positive economic growth outlook.
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