Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) is looking into potential sites to store enough coal to generate up to 50 days of electricity in the event Taiwan faces a blockade or war, a source said on Saturday.
Government regulations require the utility to store up to 30 days of coal, but Taipower generally maintains a reserve of 40 to 42 days.
However, following China’s drills in August last year, during which it imposed a partial blockade around Taiwan proper, the company might further increase its coal storage to 50 days, the source said.
Photo courtesy of Taiwan Power Co
Another reason is rising coal inventories due to the nation’s transition to clean energy, as well as some coal-fired power plants shutting down during winter to reduce air pollution, they said.
“If a coal shipment arrives at a port and existing stocks have not been depleted, this causes port congestion,” the source said.
“However, Taipower has only just started looking for storage sites and it would take at least a year to conduct a feasibility study on the plan,” the source said.
The company wants to find a site near a coal-fired power plant, particularly one like the ultra-supercritical plant in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), the source said.
“Another option would be Taichung Power Plant. It will decommission its coal burners and switch to natural gas, but the coal burners would be used as a backup if the need arises,” the source said.
However, Taipower would not restart coal plants in areas where they have caused public discontent, and any restarted plants would use ash ponds to reduce the amount of airborne pollutants, the source said.
Taipower hopes that the central government would subsidize the expenses that would arise from expanding coal storage capacity, especially as the plan would improve national security, the source added.
Separately, CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油), which maintains stocks of liquefied natural gas (LNG), said it has a combined stock of 100 days of LNG across all of its facilities nationwide — exceeding the mandated minimum of 90 days.
However, to improve energy security, the company would install additional storage tanks at receiving stations, including those at Taoyuan’s Guantang Industrial Park (觀塘工業區), Kaohsiung’s Yongan Port (永安) and the terminal in Taichung.
The additional tanks would increase storage capacity at each facility from 16 days to 24 days, the company said.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS