pwr_october-2024 - 28

TOP PLANT
Innovative Gas-Fired Power
Station Supports Taiwan's
Need for More Energy
Courtesy: GE Vernova
A GE Vernova-led project, completed in just 10 months, is helping Taiwan's efforts
for a more reliable power supply, along with supporting the integration of renewable
energy resources in the country.
Darrell Proctor
aiwan has long relied on fossil fuels
to produce the island's electricity.
The country has limited domestic
energy resources, and thus has had to
import coal and petroleum products to
support its power generation.
Officials over the past decade have
T
realized the need to move Taiwan toward
cleaner energy, including transitioning
from primarily coal-fired generation
(about 43% of the energy mix in 2023,
according to
Taiwanese government
data) to more gas-fired power output
(about 40% last year), and increasing the
use of renewable energy resources. The
government announced policy guidelines
for energy development in 2012, and has
amended its targets over the past several
years in response to environmental
and other considerations.
Taiwan's Renewable Energy Development
Act, or REDA, aims to increase
the percentage of gas-fired power in
the country to 50% by next year. GE
Vernova officials said the company " is
laser-focused to support the country's
transition, " including a plan to supply Taiwan
Power Co. (TPC or Taipower) with
more than 10 GW of gas-fired power generation
by 2026, including from the company's
7HA series of gas turbines. The
units are expected to gradually replace
coal-fired power plants, and support increased
demand for power, including
from the semi-conductor industry.
The Tung Hsiao Power Plant Renewal
28
Project,
located
in
Miaoli County,
is
among the innovative gas-fired power
plants in Taiwan that is using equipment
from GE Vernova. Tung Hsiao is a first-ofits-kind
aeroderivative gas turbine technology
installation in that country. The six
LM2500XPRESS aeroderivative, highly
modular units can deliver up to 180 MW
of electricity.
Construction of the project began in
February 2022. The plant was connected
to the grid on December 30 of that year,
and began grid-connected trials in 2023.
The plant is engineered to provide additional
flexibility to Taiwan's power generation
fleet, supporting the country's
coal-to-gas transition along with enabling
increased use of renewable energy (primarily
from offshore wind farms), as
Taiwan works toward a goal of achieving
net-zero carbon emissions from power
generation by 2050. The GE Vernova gas
turbines also are capable of hydrogen
burning blended with natural gas.
" This plant plays a crucial role in supporting
the diversification of energy
sources in Taiwan. We are proud to provide
fast, flexible and more sustainable
aeroderivative gas power-on or off the
grid-to support TPC in their energy transition
program and support the increased
use of renewable solar and wind power, "
said Ramesh Singaram, CEO of GE Vernova's
Gas Power for Asia, in a statement
after the facility entered operation.
" The scope and nature of this EPC [engi1.
Construction of the Tung Hsiao Power Plant Renewal Project took 10 months, from February
to December 2022. It is one of several projects in Taiwan that are using or will use equipment
from GE Vernova. Courtesy: GE Vernova
www.powermag.com
POWER | October 2024

http://www.powermag.com

pwr_october-2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of pwr_october-2024