Taipower to Build Taiwan’s Biggest Solar Power Plant

www.businessweek.com
May 26, 2010

May 26 (Bloomberg) -- Taiwan Power Co. plans to build the island's biggest solar power station in the southern county of Tainan as the government aims to reduce carbon emissions. The proposed 5MW plant will surpass a 4.6MW facility being constructed in the neighboring Kaohsiung County, Tu Yueh-yuan, chief engineer of Taiwan's biggest electricity producer, said by telephone in Taipei today. OneMW is enough to power 800 U.S. homes.

State-run Taiwan Power, known as Taipower, is building solar stations and wind turbines as the government aims to have renewable energy account for 15 percent of the island's electricity generation capacity by 2025 to help cut carbon emissions. The industrialised island releases about three times more heat-trapping gases per person than the world average, Bloomberg data show. "Budget for it won't be a problem" as the company plans to boost solar power capacity, Tu said. Details of the project, including costs, aren't yet available, she said.

The utility is negotiating with state-run Taiwan Sugar Corp., which owns the land for the proposed site, Tu said. Taipower plans to build another solar power station, with installed capacity of 4MWs, on Taiwan Sugar-owned land in Tainan, She said.

Energy Sources
Renewable source, including solar energy and wind turbines, accounted for 5.7 percent of Taiwan's installed capacity as of April, according to Taipower's website. Taiwan's government set minimum wholesale prices in December for electricity generated by solar panels and wind turbines at levels higher than for power from fossil fuels to spur renewable energy production.

Lawmakers approved the Renewable Energy Development Act in June, designed to help cut carbon emissions and reduce the island's dependence on imports, according to the Bureau of Energy. Taiwan relies on overseas shipments for about 99 percent of its energy needs. The 60MW Olmedilla plant in Spain is the world's biggest photovoltaic power station, according to pvresources.com, a website on solar technologies and applications. The government owns 97 percent of Taiwan Power, which generates about 75 percent of the electricity the island uses.