The construction of Taiwan’s Changhua Coastal PV Power Park project will officially be completed following the installation of its third-stage onshore wind turbines, which total 2.3 MW in capacity. The PV park boasts not only 100 MW in total PV capacity, which is the largest in Taiwan, but also a total capacity of 71.2 MW for wind power. It is currently expected to generate 340 million KWh of power a year, according to the state-run Taiwan Power Company.
The Power park, which first broke ground in February 2018, is estimated to have a total of 300,000 solar panels; the total cost of the panels’ installation is estimated to be around NT$6.2 billion.
The Power park is said to enjoy unrivaled geographic conditions for green power generation in Taiwan. In Chuanghua County, the average sunshine time that is suitable for PV power generation is around 3.54 hours daily. The county's total PV power output topped 200 million KWh in 2017, which is around 15% of the nation’s total. Its windy environment has managed to attract the attention of a large number of developers in the recent years, including Ørsted, Taipower, CIP, and Swancor.
The Changhua Coastal PV Power Park project has undoubtedly provided a major boost to Taiwan’s PV power industry, as over 90% of its solar panels have been designed, constructed, and operated by its numerous local firms; this includes companies like United Renewable Energy, Chunghwa Telecom, Star Energy, and CHEM. The park boasts not just smart power generation and maneuvering, but also smart maintenance.
The PV power station in the park will be able to generate up to 140 million KWh of power a year, which can supply the needs of over 40,000 households. Following its successful grid connection, the station is scheduled to obtain an operating license by the end of this year. The 35 wind turbines in the park will generate over 200 million KWh of power a year, making it the largest onshore wind farm in Taiwan.
In the future, Taipower is expected to also develop a major PV power park in Cigu, Tainan, which will span 216 hectares in space, with a total capacity of more than 150 MW. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2020.
(Photo courtesy of Taipower)