Taiwanese state-owned utility Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) recently has set two records of largest PV power plants in Taiwan. Back in 2014, Taipower constructed the biggest PV plant "Longjing PV power plant" in Taichung, Taiwan. It generates 8 million kWh of green power per year.
On February 8, 2018, Taipower held a breaking ground ceremony for the solar power plant project in the Changhua Coastal Industrial Park. Taipower expressed, this was the first time that Taipower collaborated with Chunghwa Telecom to build a massive PV plant. This site takes 140 hectares in the Changhua Coastal Industrial Park, similar to the size of nearly 28 baseball fields. Taipower will invest NTD 6.2 billion for the largest PV plant in Taiwan and the 54th biggest in the world. Its total installation capacity reaches 100 MW.
This plant set 3 new records in Taiwan. First, the largest installation capacity. Next, the most amount of investment for a PV plant. Third, the most power it will generate.
After the construction is over, the plant can generate 130 million kWh green power per year. That is equivalent to one year power usage of 30 thousand households.
Taipower explained, the average 3.54 solar radiation hours per day make Changhua a potential area of solar power generation. In 2017, the total solar power that was generated in Changhua county surpassed 200 million kWh. This figure took about 15% share of total PV power in Taiwan.
Back in 2016, in order to best-utilize the unique and great potential of solar and wind power generation in Changhua, Taipower signed the green power Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Changhua country government.
Taipower pointed out, the PV plant site in Changhua Coastal Industrial Park covered around 152 hectares. In particular, 339 thousand PV panels will be installed over the 140 hectares, so as to build the largest PV plant (100 MW) in Taiwan.
Speaking of the remaining 10-hectare land, it will be used for building boost stations. Because in the future, when off shore wind power generation stations are built, they need to be connected to the grid onshore. Boost stations will be necessary for the off shore power to connect to the grid in Taiwan.
This PV project contract was awarded by the end of 2017. The successful bidder was Chunghwa Telecom who has established nearly 400 PV plants.
After the ground breaking ceremony, Chunghwa Telecom will give all-out effort to expedite the construction. At its peak, nearly 1,000 workers are predicted to work in the same time. Chunghwa Telecom determined to make this power plant begin to generate power by the end of 2018.
Taipower will collaborate with Chunghwa Telecom's technologies of information, communication, and Internet of Things (IoT). In the future, Taipower will be able to monitor power generation real time via cloud computing smart platform.
When executing the power plant project, Taipower works with domestic manufacturers in Taiwan, in order promote the government to significantly boost development of Taiwan-based renewable energy industry.
The integrated exterior design will resemble images of Chinese white dolphins and little terns.
Taipower expressed, "Longjing PV power plant" in Taichung in 2014 was then the maximum PV energy generation scale from a single PV power plant in Taiwan. Now the PV plant project in Changhua Coastal Industrial Park broke that record and became the new record.
Speaking of the surrounding area near the PV plant site, local eco-friendly pedestrian sidewalks, bike paths, and environmental-protection areas will be set up. In this way, local residents can feel the charm of the green power park.
Taipower stressed that it actively develops green renewable energy, in order to follow the national energy transition policy. In particular, in the solar energy PV segment, Taipower progressively promotes "Bright Top" roof-top PV solutions on Taipower's facilities. Taipower aims at 11.3 MW roof-top PV installations. In the government publicly-announced Tainan salt fields PV Park, Taipower will build a solar power plant of over 150 MW.
In addition, Taipower continues making private companies' renewable energy easily-connecting to the grid.
Until the end of 2017, existing renewable energy in Taiwan has connected to the 4,274 feeder lines of Taipower. There are still more than 5,000 feeder lines for parallel connection. Taipower will keep on using "rolling wave planning" method to review feeder lines' capacity and timely initializing related improvement plans.
Speaking of off shore wind power generation, Taipower is promoting off shore wind farm phase 1 (110 MW) and phase 2 (720 MW). These two phases will use Taipower’s offshore wind power program and offshore wind sites of Changhua County. They are estimated to generate power from the year 2020.
(Photo and information credits: Taipower)