Hidden Power: Taiwan's Hsing Ta Power Plant's Secret Operations Raises Concerns

Controversy Erupts as Coal-Fired Units Reportedly Activated Without Public Knowledge in Kaohsiung

As Taiwan embraces a non-nuclear home, the Hsing Ta Power Plant's Units 3 and 4, while lacking operational permits, have reportedly been used to support the power grid. Investigations reveal that these two units were activated twice in April, unbeknownst to the citizens of Kaohsiung. The Taipower predicted that the reserve capacity rate would remain below 8% last night, leading to the continued operation of these units.

KMT Legislator Lo Ting-wei presented data indicating that following the decommissioning of nuclear power on May 17th, the share of nighttime thermal power generation reached between 99% and 102%. Furthermore, Taipower's sudden cessation of daily coal consumption data from the Taichung Power Plant prompted criticism, with accusations of the utility attempting to conceal information and undermine public access to information.