TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's state-owned electricity provider, Taiwan Power Company (Taipower, 台電), doubled down on Wednesday (June 25) on its pledge to eliminate coal from its energy portfolio after achieving historic lows in coal consumption last year. The utility has slashed air pollution by approximately 80 percent over an eight-year period, according to company officials. Taipower representatives also highlighted a significant reduction of nearly 400,000 tons in coal consumption during the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2024, underscoring the company's ongoing commitment to environmental protection and emissions reduction.
Company officials contextualized a minor uptick of 680 tons in coal consumption between May 17 and June 22, explaining this quantity represents enough electricity to power Taichung City, Taiwan's second-largest municipality, for less than 30 minutes. This marginal increase shows negligible change from previous year's figures, officials said. Taipower emphasized that despite permanently shutting down the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant (核三), a major non-fossil fuel energy source, the company has still managed to reduce coal usage by approximately 400,000 tons during 2025's first six months compared to the same period in 2024, demonstrating the decommissioning has not derailed their coal reduction strategy.
The Taichung Power Plant (台中電廠), one of Taiwan's largest thermal power facilities, has operated under strict limitations since 2019, with operational constraints allowing a maximum of nine generating units during low pollution periods and no more than seven units during high air pollution seasons. This facility, which reached its historical peak in coal consumption in 2014, has dramatically curtailed its coal usage by 6.31 million metric tons in the years since. These reductions have translated into a substantial environmental benefit, with the plant's air pollution emissions plummeting by approximately 80 percent from their previous levels.
The utility is accelerating its modernization strategy for the Taichung facility through a comprehensive conversion to cleaner-burning natural gas units. The initial phase of this transition includes two new gas-powered generating units scheduled to begin operations between late 2025 and 2026. This ambitious infrastructure overhaul forms the cornerstone of Taipower's environmental roadmap, which projects annual coal consumption reductions exceeding 3 million tons starting in 2032. The company remains firmly committed to its ultimate environmental milestone: completely eliminating coal from Taiwan's power generation mix by the conclusion of 2034. ◼
