As Taiwan promotes its energy transition, the proportion of renewable energy is gradually increasing, while traditional power facilities are being decommissioned. However, the public has grown increasingly concerned over the stability of Taiwan’s power system. Amid this transition, Taiwan’s emergency power generators serve as silent guardians, playing an indispensable role that must not be misrepresented.
With Taiwan’s solar power capacity exceeding 14 gigawatts (GW), with wind power capacity at 4GW, the pressure on the power supply during peak daytime hours has largely been resolved, but that pressure is shifting to meet nighttime demand. During peak usage periods over the summer, nighttime loads can exceed 37GW.
Even though response measures could decrease the load by 3 to 5 percent, several unpredictable challenges remain, such as natural disasters, human error or sabotage disrupting power plants. In such situations, emergency generators play a critical role in providing flexibility and ensuring the security of the power supply.
According to regulations set by Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) and government agencies, emergency units are only activated when the projected power supply margin falls below 6 percent, or when sudden power shortages occur due to accidents, natural disasters or national security issues.
The emergency units — such as the Talin Power Plant and the No. 3 and No. 4 coal-fired generators at the Hsinta Power Plant, all in Kaohsiung — are characterized by their fast ignition, limited duration and environmentally friendly operation.
In accordance with environmental regulations, the units are capped at 720 operational hours per year and must comply with seasonal air quality controls, including mandatory shutdowns during winter, when pollution is more severe.
The units are only activated when absolutely necessary and their cost per kilowatt-hour is slightly higher. However, labor and maintenance costs are considered pre-existing expenses, and thus require no additional expenditure. Additionally, their operational hours can be controlled, making them the optimal solution for managing risk at minimal cost.
With regard to their effect on the environment, more advanced renewable energy and energy storage technologies — equipped with high-efficiency, low-emission combined cycle gas turbines — would take over in the future, achieving the dual objectives of air pollution control and energy transition.
Although we all hope for affordable and low-pollution energy sources, we must recognize the real-world challenges associated with Taiwan’s energy transition. In the face of multiple uncertainties, such as extreme weather and possible equipment failure, the outright rejection of coal or gas-fired emergency units could greatly increase the risk of sudden power outages, and ultimately slow the progress of the energy transition.
The role of citizens should be to pragmatically monitor such units, to ensure their compliance with environmental regulations, rather than spreading politicized attacks and misinformation. More importantly, we must not ignore the reality that real-time power supply information has been available online for several years, and significant progress has already been made in reducing air pollution.
Instead, opposition members have continued to spread politicized rhetoric accusing Taipower of “secretly operating” decommissioned fossil fuel power plants and powering the nation “with our lungs.” The ideals of Taiwan’s energy transition can only be achieved if society fully and properly understands its role.
Chen Bing-heng is a doctoral candidate in the College of Environmental Studies and Oceanography at National Dong Hwa University.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
Speaking at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on May 13, former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said that democracies must remain united and that “Taiwan’s security is essential to regional stability and to defending democratic values amid mounting authoritarianism.” Earlier that day, Tsai had met with a group of Danish parliamentarians led by Danish Parliament Speaker Pia Kjaersgaard, who has visited Taiwan many times, most recently in November last year, when she met with President William Lai (賴清德) at the Presidential Office. Kjaersgaard had told Lai: “I can assure you that ... you can count on us. You can count on our support
Denmark has consistently defended Greenland in light of US President Donald Trump’s interests and has provided unwavering support to Ukraine during its war with Russia. Denmark can be proud of its clear support for peoples’ democratic right to determine their own future. However, this democratic ideal completely falls apart when it comes to Taiwan — and it raises important questions about Denmark’s commitment to supporting democracies. Taiwan lives under daily military threats from China, which seeks to take over Taiwan, by force if necessary — an annexation that only a very small minority in Taiwan supports. Denmark has given China a
Many local news media over the past week have reported on Internet personality Holger Chen’s (陳之漢) first visit to China between Tuesday last week and yesterday, as remarks he made during a live stream have sparked wide discussions and strong criticism across the Taiwan Strait. Chen, better known as Kuan Chang (館長), is a former gang member turned fitness celebrity and businessman. He is known for his live streams, which are full of foul-mouthed and hypermasculine commentary. He had previously spoken out against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and criticized Taiwanese who “enjoy the freedom in Taiwan, but want China’s money”
A high-school student surnamed Yang (楊) gained admissions to several prestigious medical schools recently. However, when Yang shared his “learning portfolio” on social media, he was caught exaggerating and even falsifying content, and his admissions were revoked. Now he has to take the “advanced subjects test” scheduled for next month. With his outstanding performance in the general scholastic ability test (GSAT), Yang successfully gained admissions to five prestigious medical schools. However, his university dreams have now been frustrated by the “flaws” in his learning portfolio. This is a wake-up call not only for students, but also teachers. Yang did make a big
RSS