Taiwan Faces Power Outages as Nuclear Plant Closes

Strategic Insights -

With the decommissioning of Taiwan's last operational nuclear reactor on May 17, Taiwan Power Company is struggling to meet the increased demand for energy, particularly during the summer months. Multiple power outages were reported this week, with total power capacity dropping by an estimated 3 million kilowatts, which briefly brought Taiwan's reserve power supply below the mandated 8% threshold. To address the issue, the company will overhaul its Mingtan Hydropower plant in Nantou and the gas-fired Hsingta power plant in Kaohsiung to ensure the country's total power reserves remain about the 8% mark.

Key Takeaways:

  • The decommissioning of Taiwan's last operational nuclear reactor on May 17 resulted in multiple power outages, with total power capacity dropping by an estimated 3 million kilowatts.
  • The power outages, which included substations in Taoyuan, New Taipei, and Taichung, briefly brought Taiwan's reserve power supply below the mandated 8% threshold.
  • Taiwan Power Company's Chair, Tseng Wen-sheng, stated that the probability of so many substations tripping at once is extremely low and that the issue will be thoroughly investigated.
  • The company will overhaul its Mingtan Hydropower plant in Nantou and the gas-fired Hsingta power plant in Kaohsiung to ensure the country's total power reserves remain about the 8% mark.
  • Taiwan Power Company is in the midst of a campaign to boost resilience and security of the electric grid, which has caused some disruptions to power supply.
  • The company has been upgrading equipment at substations and installing new smart-meters to safeguard Taiwan's electricity infrastructure.

Statistics:

  • Total power capacity dropped by an estimated 3 million kilowatts due to power outages.
  • Reserve power supply dropped below the mandated 8% threshold during the power outages.
  • Tseng Wen-sheng stated that the company will do its best to keep power supply disruptions to a minimum as demand for electricity rises over the coming months.
  • 4 substations suffered simultaneous power failures due to increased demand.

Sources:

  • CNA
  • UDN
  • Taiwan Power Company press conference (May 19, 2023)
  • Tseng Wen-sheng, Chairman of Taiwan Power Company