Taipower planning to build eight gas-fired generators in 10 years

The first of the units may start commercial operation in 2015 and the last in 2018, Tu Yueh-yuan, chief engineer of the utility, said by telephone in Taipei yesterday. The generators will have a total capacity of 5,760 megawatts.

President-elect Ma Ying-jeou, who takes office on May 20, says Taiwan’s carbon-dioxide emissions in 2050 should fall to 50 percent of its 2000 levels, according to an environmental policy paper prepared by his campaign. His government will aim to have half of the island’s electricity generated from low-carbon sources, including natural gas. “We, on the one hand, want to meet power demand and, on other hand, want to increase consumption of natural gas,” Tu said. Details, including costs, have yet to be determined, she said.

Gas-fired units accounted for 33 percent of Taiwan’s installed capacity in January, compared with 31 percent from coal-fueled generators and 13.5 percent from nuclear reactors, according to the Web site of Taiwan Power, known as Taipower.

The government owns 97 percent of the utility, which generates about 75 percent of the electricity the island uses and monopolizes transmission in Taiwan.

Gross domestic product has expanded for 18 straight quarters, fueling demand for power. Taipower’s electricity sales increased an average 4.4 percent annually over the past five years, outpacing the 3.6 percent gain in the island’s installed capacity, according to the company’s Web site.

The government forecasts liquefied natural gas demand will rise to 10.5 million metric tons in 2010, up 28 percent from last year, and may reach 16 million tons in 2020 when additional gas-fired generators are up and running.

LNG is natural gas that has been chilled to liquid form, reducing it to one-six hundredth of its original volume at minus 161 degrees Celsius (minus 259 Fahrenheit), for transportation by ship to destinations not connected by pipeline. On arrival, it’s turned back into gas for distribution to power plants, factories and households.

Subscribe to The China Post and save 25%. Click here

SharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Terms

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

Submit

 Receive China Post promos
 Respond to this email