Energy Transition in Taiwan
Introduction
Taiwan is ongoing its energy transition.
Electricity Sector
Renewable Capacity Expansion Plans
The following sources of renewable energy are planned to increase capacity significantly by 2025: solar, offshore wind, biogas, onshore wind, and geothermal. Below is a chart of the goals of expansion, adopted from Renewables are blooming; is the power system ready? A Prognosis on Residual Load Flexibility in Taiwan by 2025.
| Type of Renewables |
Current Capacity (as of 15.11.2017) |
Planned Capacity by 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 1.286GW | 20GW |
| Onshore Wind | 0.682GW | 1.2GW |
| Offshore Wind | 0.136GW | 5.5GW |
| Biogas | 0.741GW | 0.813GW |
| Geothermal | 0GW | 0.2GW |
Goals of Electricity Generation and Carbon Emission Intensity
The goal of renewable sources in electricity generation share is 20% by 2025. Meanwhile, coal use is to be reduced to 30%, compared to 45% in 2016. The carbon emission intensity of electricity generation is to be reduced from 0.529 kg CO2 eq/kWh in 2016 to 0.395 kg CO2 eq/kWh by 2025.
Prognosis of Residual Load and Re-dispatchment Schemes
According to the International Energy Agency, there are four phases of integrating variable renewables onto the grid[1]. With about 1% of electricity generated by solar and wind, Taiwan is currently in the first phase, when grid integration is still not a major problem for renewable energy sources.
However, if 20GW of solar is installed as planned by 2025, the residual load curve will change drastically. By then, conventional power plants will have to vary their output accordingly. Also, the risk of congestion in transmission lines must be analyze beforehand, and weak spots in the power system must be strengthened in prior.
Below is the power output curve a possible re-dispatchment scheme may result to by summer 2025[2].The hard coal power plants might have to ramp more flexibly inthe future in order to adjust to the residual load variations, and this result to a reduction of coal use to around 26% in this scenario. The carbon emission intensity in this scenario was 0.396 kg CO2 eq/kWh, very close to the policy goal.
While wind power is weaker in summer, it will be more stronger in winter. Since the solar radiation in southern Taiwan remains strong even in winter, the first negative residaul load events would probably happen in winter. By then Taiwan would have to start dealing with phase three problems described by IEA.
Transportation Sector
Building Sector
Industrial Sector
Other Related Issues
Divestment from Fossil Fuel
Participatory Democracy
References
- ↑ Getting Wind and Sun onto the Grid, https://www.iea.org/publications/insights/insightpublications/Getting_Wind_and_Sun.pdf
- ↑ "Flexibility, Residual Load , & Re-dispatchment", https://drive.google.com/open?id=1uJPcyUXykobIVOE-Bb58nrGyHwfbsc9X
