Premier Cho Jung-tai visited Taichung Power Plant today (4th), where Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) announced that the plant's two new Phase I gas-fired generating units, Units 1 and 2, had operated simultaneously at 100% of their rated capacity for the first time. Taipower also announced that dismantling work on the plant's existing coal-fired Units 1 and 2 would officially begin in October. In accordance with its established plans, Taipower is taking concrete action to fulfill its coal reduction commitments and advance Taiwan's energy transition, working toward its goal of eliminating coal-fired power generation at Taichung Power Plant by 2034. Taipower emphasized that, as one of the most dedicated contributors to coal and air pollution reduction in Taichung City, it also hopes to gain the city government's support for the development of high-efficiency power infrastructure with lower air pollutant emissions, and work together with the city government to ensure a reliable electricity supply while improving air quality in Taichung.
During his remarks at the event, Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin expressed two points of appreciation, one directive, and two requests. First, he thanked Premier Cho Jung-tai and the Executive Yuan for their support of Taichung Power Plant's efforts to expand gas-fired generation and reduce coal consumption. He also expressed his gratitude to all Taipower employees for overcoming numerous challenges to accomplish this demanding task. However, in anticipation of future growth in electricity demand, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has revised its electricity demand growth projections and, following further instructions from Premier Cho, further increased its projections to account for potentially higher demand growth. Accordingly, Minister Kung instructed Taipower to ensure that Phase II of the project, in addition to Phase I, proceeds on schedule and meets the required quality standards.
Minister Kung further emphasized that the subsequent phases of the project would require regulatory approvals and expressed his hope that the local governments would provide its support. In addition, he noted that Taipower is responsible not only for maintaining a stable electricity supply but also for supporting government policies aimed at stabilizing consumer prices. He therefore called on the Legislative Yuan to support Taipower's supplementary budget request.
Taipower explained that rapid industrial expansion and urban development in Taichung City in recent years have driven a continued surge in electricity demand. In 2025, the city's electricity consumption reached nearly 35 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), accounting for approximately 15% of Taiwan's total electricity consumption. Taichung has ranked first nationwide in electricity consumption for seven consecutive years. Since 2019, the city's existing coal-fired generating units have been unable to meet local electricity demand, making it necessary to rely on power supplied from other cities and counties. To ensure a reliable electricity supply for industrial and public needs, Taipower has proactively implemented the government's plans to develop new gas-fired generating units. Under its established roadmap, Taipower is pursuing its pollution reduction and coal phase-out goals at Taichung Power Plant through three stages: Air Pollution Control, Increasing Gas and Reducing Coal, and Coal-to-Gas Transition.
Taipower further pointed out that, to balance electricity supply reliability with environmental sustainability, it has continued to improve air quality through a range of measures, including environmentally optimized power dispatch, equipment performance upgrades, and the substitution of natural gas for coal. Since launching its environmental emissions reduction projects in 2017, Taipower has invested NT$44.1 billion in upgrading air pollution control equipment at its generating units. Compared with 2017 levels, these efforts have reduced coal consumption by 7.39 million metric tons and air pollutant emissions by more than 28,000 metric tons, achieving an 80% reduction in air pollutant emissions. Taichung Power Plant has also achieved the highest air pollutant emissions reduction rate among all stationary pollution sources in Taichung City, far surpassing other facilities. Furthermore, the Taichung City Government announced earlier this year that the city's air quality in the first quarter of 2026 was the best on record, highlighting the outstanding results of these ongoing efforts.
Regarding Phase I of the new gas-fired power generation project, Taipower explained that despite challenges such as global inflation, progress has been made through interministerial coordination and improvements in construction methods. The new gas-fired Unit 1 became available for power dispatch in May and is expected to commence commercial operation by the end of September. Meanwhile, the new gas-fired Unit 2 is undergoing trial operations and is expected to become available for power dispatch in October, with commercial operation targeted for March 2027. To commemorate this significant milestone in Taichung Power Plant's Increasing Gas and Reducing Coal initiative, the chimneys of the new generating units have been specially decorated with artwork depicting the locally significant little tern taking flight with its head held high.
For Phase II of the new gas-fired power generation project, Taipower plans to construct four high-efficiency combined-cycle gas turbine generating units within the existing plant site, with a total installed capacity of approximately 4.8-5.2 million kilowatts (kW). The project has passed its environmental impact assessment, and Taipower is actively carrying out ground improvement works and tendering for major power generation equipment. In addition, Taipower has also launched a Procurement Integrity Platform initiative. The new generating units are scheduled to come online progressively between 2031 and 2034, accompanied by the phased retirement of existing coal-fired units, enabling Taipower to steadily achieve its goal of eliminating coal-fired power generation at Taichung Power Plant by 2034.
Taipower emphasized that it will continue to upgrade its generating units and implement the three key development objectives for Taichung Power Plant outlined by Premier Cho Jung-tai: "eliminating coal-fired power generation by the end of 2034, transitioning existing coal-fired units to emergency standby status, and reassessing the number of emergency standby units in 2032." Recognizing that power infrastructure development requires time, Taipower will steadily advance its investments and projects in accordance with established goals, while maintaining a stable electricity supply, taking local community concerns into account, and promoting environmental sustainability. Taipower also expressed its hope that stakeholders across all sectors will support energy infrastructure development to foster continuous growth and prosperity for both industry and local communities.
In addition, responding to concerns that Taipower's coal-related budget for next year is NT$10 billion higher than this year's, Taipower firmly clarified that it remains committed to implementing the government's Increasing Gas and Reducing Coal policy. Coal consumption is projected to decrease by nearly 800,000 metric tons next year compared with this year, with coal-fired power generation continuing to decline while gas-fired power generation increases. However, rising average international coal prices have necessitated an increase in the overall budget allocation. Taipower urged the public not to draw misleading conclusions from selective data or spread inaccurate information.
Spokesperson: Huang, Chief Administrator
Phone: (02) 2366-6271; 0922-696-383
Contact Person: Director Chu, Department of Nuclear and Fossil Power Projects
Tel: (02) 2391-0241; 0911-305-135
Contact Person: Director Chien, Department of Power Generation
Tel: (02) 2366-6500; 0937-052-899