Taipei, May 25 (CNA) Taiwan's electricity reserves on Tuesday were slightly higher than in recent days but still within the "yellow" warning range, during a week in which the supply is forecast to be tight due to high demand and repairs at several plants.
May 25, 2021
Taiwan is being squeezed by a resurgent coronavirus on one side and a yearlong drought that is disrupting agriculture, industry and power supplies on the other. Only one of those forces is likely to go away.
The dual stresses can be seen at home in sliding stocks, power and water shortages, and abroad as Taiwan’s chipmakers struggle to fill a global deficit of semiconductors. While the government works to rein in the COVID-19 outbreak, the water and energy strains highlight longer-term challenges from the island’s unusual vulnerability to climate change.
“In the medium term, energy and water are indeed the key factors for Taiwan, not only for food security but also for capturing the opportunities of a growing semiconductor industry and related investment,” said Gary Ng, an economist at Natixis.
Power supply in Taiwan flashes yellow amid heavy demand
05/24/2021 06:56 PM
CNA file photo
Taipei, May 24 (CNA) Taiwan s power supply system flashed a yellow warning light Monday due to high demand, after a coal-fired generator in Taichung suffered a breakdown earlier in the day, the state-owned power company said.
At noon, power consumption nationwide reached 36,604 megawatts (MW), or 91 percent of capacity, triggering a yellow alert that signals an operating reserve margin of 6-10 percent of total supply, Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) said.
The maximum power supply capability on Monday was 39,838 MW, and the operating reserve margin was expected to drop to 7.67 percent of total supply, or 2,838 MW, during peak consumption periods, according to Taipower.
The Liberty Times Editorial: Preparing for the worst scenario
Several incidents that occurred within the space of a week have shown just how rapidly things can change in Taiwan.
First there was a major power outage on May 13, causing rolling blackouts that affected 4 million users throughout the nation. Due to the sudden nature of the outage, people were caught in elevators, at the supermarket checkout or withdrawing money from the bank, while malfunctioning traffic lights caused congestion, motorists were caught filling their tanks at gas stations and offices were plunged into darkness, disrupting the lives of many people going about their everyday tasks.
Taipei, May 23 (CNA) Taiwan's power supply is projected to be tight for the next five weekdays as electricity consumption is expected to increase due mainly to stronger demand and ongoing annual generator overhauls at four power plants, according to state-own Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower).