Taipower’s operating reserve rate hits month’s 2nd low at 2.74%

TAIPEI (The China Post/ANN) - Taiwan’s operating power reserve rate hit 2.74 per cent on Friday, the 6th lowest ever recorded, according to statistics released by state-run Taiwan Power Company (Taipower). 

The figure was also the second lowest level for October 2016, next only to the 2.57 per cent recorded two days earlier

The company attributed the low rate in part to a failure to resume normal operations of the the No. 5 generator of the Dalin Thermal Power Plant.

The generator at the plant in the Xiaokang District of Kaohsiung City was out of action until 7.44 am Friday.  

Increases in the use of air conditioning caused by high temperatures in Taipei and Chiayi also dragged down the operating power reserve rate, according to Taipower.

An official at Taipower’s Department of System operations said that Friday’s peak power consumption reached 33.0001 million kilowatts at 1:46 p.m., more than 50,000 kilowatts higher than the level of 32.495 million kilowatts recorded for Thursday.

Power Supply at Critical Level

As a result, the operating reserve rate reached 2.74 per cent with a reserve of only 900,570 kilowatts.  

Data from Taipower  indicates that eight out of the firm’s 10 all-time lowest operating power reserve rates were registered in 2016.

Taipower estimated the operating reserve would again dip to below the 5.14 percent level next Monday, suggesting it may hit 5.10 percent next Wednesday.

Economics Minister Lee Shih-kuang said on Friday morning that he will discuss with Taipower officials on whether to postpone the annual maintenance of some generating units -- originally scheduled to start next week -- to boost the operating reserve.

But Taipower chairman Chu Wen-chen said that any postponement may affect the power supply in 2017, adding that therefore his company was not planning to reschedule the maintenance.

Chu said that if the “maintenance” of generating units was delayed, then the time for the later “inspection” of the units would also be squeezed.

“To avoid this, the only way is for us to strive to maintain a normal power supply while carrying out the maintenance as scheduled.” 

No Need to Postpone Annual Maintenance Work

Chu said that local temperatures next will be slightly lower next week, and therefore there was no need to postpone annual maintenance work. 

Chu made the remarks after attending an awards ceremony hosted by his company to honor individual and corporate power users with excellent performance in reducing power consumption.

Chu told the press that Taipower had originally planned to retire some of Dalin Thermal Power plant’s senior generating units, but had been forced to extend the service tenure of the units.

Some of the units have been in service for over 40 years

Declining to elaborate on the reasons for the extension, Chu said that his company would replace some of the mechanical parts and components of Dalin’s generators during the annual maintenance process.

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