To promote transparency and information sharing in marine ecological data, Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Taiwan Biodiversity Information Alliance (TBIA) Committee today (11th), formally establishing a partnership. Taipower announced that it will progressively make available more than 30 years of accumulated marine ecological monitoring data, which will be uploaded to the TBIA integrated platform beginning next year for public access and use. This initiative will make Taipower's long-term ecological monitoring findings available beyond its power facilities through a broader information-sharing platform, contributing to marine ecological conservation and sustainability research in Taiwan.
The signing ceremony was attended by Taipower President Kuo Tien-Ho and Yang Chia-Tung, Chairperson of the TBIA Committee, who jointly signed the MOA. Taipower pointed out that many of Taiwan's major power facilities are located along the coast, as large power plants require seawater for heat exchange in their cooling systems. To assess the potential impacts of power plant operations on surrounding marine ecosystems, Taipower began collaborating with research teams on marine ecological monitoring at an early stage. Taiwan's first large-scale marine ecological research project focused on the marine ecosystem surrounding the Chinshan Nuclear Power Plant. Taipower subsequently expanded its efforts to promote ecological coexistence to other power facilities, accumulating decades of marine ecological survey data.
Taipower stated that it has long been committed to ecological conservation and has promoted the integration of biodiversity conservation into its power facilities, in line with the international concept of Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs), which extends conservation efforts beyond legally designated protected areas. These efforts have led to terrestrial conservation and coexistence site certifications and the recognition of marine areas as effective conservation areas. Through its latest partnership with TBIA, Taipower will further advance ecological data sharing by integrating more than 30 years of accumulated ecological survey data into Taiwan's broader biodiversity information-sharing network, enhancing the practical value of the data.
Taipower explained that TBIA is dedicated to integrating biodiversity information across Taiwan and has established a unified biodiversity database search system that consolidates ecological survey data from various government agencies and research institutions for public access. TBIA's members span multiple government ministries and academic institutions, including the Taiwan Biodiversity Research Institute, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ocean Conservation Administration, and Water Resources Agency under the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Through cross-agency and interdisciplinary data integration and sharing, TBIA aims to enhance the practical value of biodiversity data.
Taipower emphasized that ecological conservation requires long-term monitoring, scientific research, and cross-sector collaboration. The extensive data accumulated through Taipower's marine ecological surveys over the years not only provides an important foundation for environmental management at its power facilities but also holds significant value for broader ecological research and conservation efforts. Through this partnership with TBIA, Taipower's power facilities will serve not only as vital infrastructure supporting Taiwan's development but also as valuable national assets for biodiversity conservation and scientific research, contributing to a more comprehensive and detailed picture of Taiwan's ecological resources.
Spokesperson: Huang, Chief Administrator
Phone: (02) 2366-6271; 0922-696-383
Contact Person: Director Wu, Department of Environmental Protection
Phone: (02) 2366-7200; 0927-291-156