A fire that broke out at Hsinta Power Plant in Kaohsiung on Tuesday was caused by a gas leak from pipes on a heater, Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) said yesterday.
Citing a preliminary investigation report, Taipower chairman Tseng Wen-sheng (曾文生) told reporters that the problem appeared to have stemmed from a fault at a pipe joint called a flange on the gas turbine heater.
The fire mainly affected the Hsinta Power Plant's new natural gas Unit 2, which was in a trial operation phase, Tseng said.
Photo courtesy of Taipower via CNA
The fire did not reach the main section of the unit, called 2-1, but damaged the 2-2 section, he said.
Taipower would carry out further investigations at the scene to determine what caused the gas leak at the flange, and the probe is expected to be completed by Saturday, Tseng said.
The company would also check the natural gas Unit 1 at the power plant, he said, adding that the inspection of that unit would be done today.
When the gas leak at Hsinta Power Plant's new natural gas Unit 2 was detected at about 7:57pm on Tuesday, the staff immediately shut down all systems and reported the incident, Tseng said.
However, at 8:05pm, a fire broke out due to a leak of residual gas in the heater's pipeline, he said, adding that the fire was quenched about 15 to 20 minutes after firefighters arrived on the scene at 8:24pm.
No injuries were reported, he said.
Tseng yesterday apologized to the residents of Kaohsiung's Yongan District (永安), whom he called neighbors of Hsinta Power Plant, which has been in operation since 1982.
However, he refuted the speculation by some residents that the gas leak had occurred because the pipe joints had not been properly welded as the contractors at the plant had hired unlicensed workers.
Meanwhile, Taipower said earlier yesterday that it had taken action to stabilize the power supply in the wake of the fire.
Two generators — one at Hsinta Power Plant and another at Talin Power Plant in Kaohsiung's Siaogang District (小港) — were activated, Taipower said.
The percent operating reserve (POR) would be maintained at more than 10 percent during the day and 6 percent at night, Taipower said.
The POR indicates the company's ability to supply extra electricity in the event of an unexpected loss of supply or a sudden surge in power consumption.
A POR of 10 percent or higher is deemed as "adequate," as it is the highest level on the five-tier system listed on Taipower's Web site.
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