According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), Bureau of Energy, six utility-scale solar projects are planned to be completed this year, and four offshore wind farms will be connected to the power grid, adding a total capacity of 2 GW, or the equivalent of two nuclear reactors.
The new renewable capacity comes at a critical time, as Taiwan's No. 2 Nuclear Power Plant, located in Wanli, New Taipei City, will begin decommissioning in March. This move is part of MOEA's 2025 target power generation ratio which is described as "532," 50% natural gas, 30% coal, 20% renewable energy.
Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) said last year renewable energy generated 21.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, accounting for 8.6% of the total power generation.
With an increase in offshore wind turbines connected to the grid, it is estimated that new capacity will bring the share of renewable energy to 10%.
Under the government's plan, the cumulative capacity targets for offshore wind power and solar by the end of this year are 4.14 GW and 14 GW, respectively.
Regarding offshore wind power, wind farms to be grid-connected in 2023 include 57 wind turbines in Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners’ (CIP) Changfang and Xidao Wind Farms, and 31 wind turbines in Ørsted’s Changhua Southeast and Southwest Phase 1 Wind Farms, which were initially expected to be completed last year.
Additionally, 64 wind turbines associated with Skyborne Renewable Energy will see new installed capacity reach 1.3 GW.
Due to lower air conditioner power consumption and decreased energy demand from factories, renewables accounted for 20% of Taiwan's electricity demand in December.
As more offshore wind turbines connect to the grid later this year, renewable energy penetration might reach 30% in autumn and winter, projected Taipower.
Furthermore, Taipower maintains two major hydropower systems, Dajia River Hydro Power Plant and Mingtan Hydro Power Plant, which focus on generating electricity at night, with a total power supply capacity of more than four million kilowatts, which plays an important role in stabilizing nighttime peak usage.
