Power generated from solar and wind made up nearly one-third of the nation’s energy mix at noon yesterday, setting a record, Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) said.
Electricity generated from solar and wind totaled 7 gigawatts, accounting for 31.53 percent of the power generated at the time, surpassing the 31.21 percent recorded on Jan. 25 and setting an all-time high, the state-owned utility said.
Taipower credited fair weather conditions for the milestone.
Photo courtesy of Tainan Bureau of Transportation via CNA
Taiwan also hit a separate milestone in green energy transition, after solar and wind sources had generated more than 15 percent of the nation’s electricity for seven days in a row as of Monday, Taipower said.
The government has set the goal of reducing its dependence on “gray” electricity and boosting green power generation to 15 percent of the nation’s energy mix by 2025, down from its original goal of 20 percent.
In December last year, the nation generated more electricity from solar and wind power than coal for the first time, with gas power taking the lead, Taipower data showed.
The increase in green energy generation and the decline in coal power indicate that green energy is replacing “gray” electricity in the nation, Taipower said.
Gas remains the nation’s largest power source, generating about 33 percent of its energy on Monday noon, Taipower data showed.
The growth in renewable power generation could also be linked to more solar panels and wind turbines being installed in Taiwan, the utility said.
Last year, solar panels with a combined capacity of 2.5 gigawatts were installed on rooftops and fish ponds, Taipower said.
Offshore wind turbines with a combined capacity of more than 1 gigawatt were also erected, the company added.
Last year, 20.08 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity were generated by solar and wind, amounting to about 8 percent to all power generated, Taipower said.
With new solar and wind power plants coming online, the Ministry of Economic Affairs expects the renewable sources to produce an additional 2 gigawatts of electricity this year, which would be equal to the power generated by two nuclear reactors.
Household energy users and businesses have voiced concerns about possible power shortages as the nation changes its power mix.
Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Tseng Wen-sheng (曾文生), who is acting chairman of Taipower, said he does not expect the retirement of a nuclear power plant to cause a shortage in the power supply, as increases in renewable energy would offset the impact.
Tseng made the remarks during a Femora TV interview on Sunday in response to concerns about the planned retirement this month of a reactor at the Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Wanli District (萬里).
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) secured a record 70.2 percent share of the global foundry business in the second quarter, up from 67.6 percent the previous quarter, and continued widening its lead over second-placed Samsung Electronics Co, TrendForce Corp (集邦科技) said on Monday. TSMC posted US$30.24 billion in sales in the April-to-June period, up 18.5 percent from the previous quarter, driven by major smartphone customers entering their ramp-up cycle and robust demand for artificial intelligence chips, laptops and PCs, which boosted wafer shipments and average selling prices, TrendForce said in a report. Samsung’s sales also grew in the second quarter, up
LIMITED IMPACT: Investor confidence was likely sustained by its relatively small exposure to the Chinese market, as only less advanced chips are made in Nanjing Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) saw its stock price close steady yesterday in a sign that the loss of the validated end user (VEU) status for its Nanjing, China, fab should have a mild impact on the world’s biggest contract chipmaker financially and technologically. Media reports about the waiver loss sent TSMC down 1.29 percent during the early trading session yesterday, but the stock soon regained strength and ended at NT$1,160, unchanged from Tuesday. Investors’ confidence in TSMC was likely built on its relatively small exposure to the Chinese market, as Chinese customers contributed about 9 percent to TSMC’s revenue last
LOOPHOLES: The move is to end a break that was aiding foreign producers without any similar benefit for US manufacturers, the US Department of Commerce said US President Donald Trump’s administration would make it harder for Samsung Electronics Co and SK Hynix Inc to ship critical equipment to their chipmaking operations in China, dealing a potential blow to the companies’ production in the world’s largest semiconductor market. The US Department of Commerce in a notice published on Friday said that it was revoking waivers for Samsung and SK Hynix to use US technologies in their Chinese operations. The companies had been operating in China under regulations that allow them to import chipmaking equipment without applying for a new license each time. The move would revise what is known
UNCERTAINTY: A final ruling against the president’s tariffs would upend his trade deals and force the government to content with billions of dollars in refunds The legal fight over US President Donald Trump’s global tariffs is deepening after a federal appeals court ruled the levies were issued illegally under an emergency law, extending the chaos in global trade. A 7-4 decision by a panel of judges on Friday was a major setback for Trump, even as it gives both sides something to boast about. The majority upheld a May ruling by the Court of International Trade that the tariffs were illegal. However, the judges left the levies intact while the case proceeds, as Trump had requested, and suggested that any injunction could potentially be narrowed to apply
RSS