TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipower Chair Tseng Wen-sheng (曾文生) this week responded to growing concerns over coal-fired generator units operating in Taichung and Kaohsiung, urging the public and local officials to acknowledge the company's progress in reducing pollution.
KMT Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) has long criticized the Taichung Power Plant, which primarily relies on coal-fired generators, per CNA. Her criticism has intensified following the recent decommissioning of Taiwan’s final nuclear power unit.
Lu and the Taichung City Government alleged that the Taichung plant increased its output after the shutdown of the nuclear reactor. She cited differences in output between Friday and Sunday, which Taipower said involved a mix of daytime and nighttime data. The city government, however, maintained both figures reflected nighttime output.
In Kaohsiung, KMT City Councilor Chiu Yu-hsuan (邱于軒) noted that the No. 3 and No. 4 coal-fired units at the Hsinta Thermal Power Plant were in operation on Wednesday, despite their permits expiring in September 2024, per UDN.
Tseng said the Taichung plant, which houses 10 coal-fired generator units, has not operated at full capacity for the past six years. He noted that coal usage at the facility has dropped by roughly 33% from its peak of 1,800 metric tons.
He also pointed to an 80% reduction in air pollution at the plant, attributing the improvement to decreased coal consumption and the installation of pollution control mechanisms. While acknowledging public concern about air quality, Tseng called for greater recognition of Taipower’s operational progress.
Addressing concerns about increased nighttime output, Tseng said while solar power supplements thermal power output during daytime, the latter needs to increase output at night.
Regarding the Hsinta plant, Tseng said the No. 3 unit is scheduled for decommissioning by the end of 2025, and the No. 4 unit by the end of 2026, per UDN. He said the units may still be activated if Taiwan’s operating reserve falls below 8%.
Taipower Vice President Tsai Chih-meng (蔡志孟) said a malfunction at the Ho-Ping Thermal Power Plant led to the recent activation of the two Hsinta units. According to the Kaohsiung Environmental Protection Bureau, the units now serve as backup and are only authorized to operate during power reserve shortages between the second and third quarters of 2024, per CNA.
