Taichung coal plant to be moved to grid reserve

The Taiwanese parliament in January passed a resolution to decommission the 5.5GW Taichung coal-fired power plant by 2035.

The resolution suggests that the facility will become part of the national security emergency reserve, but the plant's role in base-load generation will be partly taken over by new gas-fired units that are scheduled to be commissioned in 2025. The 5.5GW Taichung plant consumed 12.3mn t of coal in 2020, Taipower data show.

The resolution also suggested that the number of new gas units at the Taichung plant will increase to four, from two.

Taipower said the resolution will require the utility to significantly alter its existing plans for the facility and that it will consider electricity security of supply when it evaluates the situation.

The coal units may be decommissioned up to two years earlier than 2035, should the city government provide assistance with the construction of the new units, Taipower said. But as of mid-December, the two Taichung units had not received full approval from the local government.

Coal output restricted amid air pollution

The Taichung coal-fired plant recently reduced its output amid concerns about air pollution.

Units 9 and 10 at the 5.5GW Taichung plant were taken off line over the weekend, which reduced its overall output to 1.99GW on 6-7 February. This compares with January's monthly average output of 2.9GW.

Taiwan's environmental protection administration (EPA) suggested that the plant cut its output by another 10pc, but Taipower said the plant is already running at less than 40pc of its capacity and firm power demand in the region means further output reductions are not possible.

By Firat Ergene