The Taichung City Government yesterday approved state-run Taiwan Power Co’s (Taipower, 台電) request to extend the service life of nine coal-fired generators at its Taichung Power Plant, with the proviso that the plant cuts its bituminous coal usage by almost a quarter.
Taipower said that such a drastic cut would decrease the plant’s annual power generation by 4.5 billion kilowatt-hours and could pose a risk to the nation’s power supply.
Taipower said that it filed applications for an extension on Nov. 6 and on Friday last week, but both proposals were rejected by the city government for not going far enough in reducing coal usage.
Photo: Tsai Shu-yuan, Taipei Times
In its second application, Taipower proposed slashing its annual coal usage by 3.15 million tonnes, but the city government said the proposed volume would not meet the reduction in coal usage required by the Autonomous Act for Coal Regulation (台中市管制生煤自治條例).
The Taichung Environmental Protection Bureau said that it would only agree to the extension if Taipower cuts its planned coal usage by 5 million tonnes, or 24 percent, from 21 million tonnes.
Taipower said the plant generates 44.4 billion kilowatt-hours per year and a 4.5 billion kilowatt-hours reduction would be like shutting down one coal-fired generator.
It would be impossible to replace coal with natural gas in such a short period, because the plant needs time to expand its facilities, the company said, adding that its two combined-cycle gas turbines would not be ready until 2025 at the earliest.
Even if the plant switches over to natural gas completely, it would require 600,000 tonnes of natural gas, which presents a challenge for the company in terms of sourcing and could threaten the power supply nationwide, the company said.
This is the first time that the city government has taken action to cut coal usage since the plant was built 30 years ago.
Taichung Mayor Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said that the plant has benefited the public for the three decades since its establishment, but its use of coal has generated significant air pollution.
The city passed the act last year, which was the main reason it asked Taipower to reduce its coal usage, Lin said.
“We believe that the municipal order to decrease coal usage — the first of its kind — is in line with public expectations,” Lin said.
He said that he believes the goal set down by the act is attainable.
Lin said he hopes that Taipower would work with the city and help improve air quality in the region.
Additional reporting by Chang Ching-ya
BACK IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: The planned transit by the ‘Baden-Wuerttemberg’ and the ‘Frankfurt am Main’ would be the German Navy’s first passage since 2002 Two German warships are set to pass through the Taiwan Strait in the middle of this month, becoming the first German naval vessels to do so in 22 years, Der Spiegel reported on Saturday. Reuters last month reported that the warships, the frigate Baden-Wuerttemberg and the replenishment ship Frankfurt am Main, were awaiting orders from Berlin to sail the Strait, prompting a rebuke to Germany from Beijing. Der Spiegel cited unspecified sources as saying Beijing would not be formally notified of the German ships’ passage to emphasize that Berlin views the trip as normal. The German Federal Ministry of Defense declined to comment. While
‘REGRETTABLE’: TPP lawmaker Vivian Huang said that ‘we will continue to support Chairman Ko and defend his innocence’ as he was transferred to a detention facility The Taipei District Court yesterday ruled that Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) be detained and held incommunicado over alleged corruption dating to his time as mayor of Taipei. The ruling reversed a decision by the court on Monday morning that Ko be released without bail. After prosecutors on Wednesday appealed the Monday decision, the High Court said that Ko had potentially been “actively involved” in the alleged corruption and ordered the district court to hold a second detention hearing. Ko did not speak to reporters upon his arrival at the district court at about 9:10am yesterday to attend a procedural
‘UPHOLDING PEACE’: Taiwan’s foreign minister thanked the US Congress for using a ‘creative and effective way’ to deter Chinese military aggression toward the nation The US House of Representatives on Monday passed the Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act, aimed at deterring Chinese aggression toward Taiwan by threatening to publish information about Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials’ “illicit” financial assets if Beijing were to attack. The act would also “restrict financial services for certain immediate family of such officials,” the text of the legislation says. The bill was introduced in January last year by US representatives French Hill and Brad Sherman. After remarks from several members, it passed unanimously. “If China chooses to attack the free people of Taiwan, [the bill] requires the Treasury secretary to publish the illicit
The Executive Yuan yesterday warned against traveling to or doing business in China after reports that Beijing is recruiting Taiwanese to help conceal the use of forced Uighur labor. The government is aware that Taiwan-based influencers and businesses are being asked to make pro-Beijing content and offered incentives to invest in the region, Executive Yuan acting spokeswoman Julia Hsieh (謝子涵) told a news conference. Taiwanese are urged to be aware of the potential personal and reputational harm by visiting or operating businesses in China, Hsieh said, adding that agencies are fully apprised of the situation. A national security official said that former Mainland
RSS