Taoyuan City is located at the northwest of Taiwan, with a total area of 1,220 square kilometers and a approximately 2.3 million residents. The industrial output is up to USD 98 billion being the largest one in Taiwan. Due to the demand of higher electricity consumption, In addition to the 7coal-fired cogeneration plant , there are natural gas power plants and wind power generation to stable supply of electricity for domestic and industrial usages. (Fig.1)
Currently, Taoyuan City has 7 coal-fired cogeneration plants with a total installed capacity of 564 MW and expects to consume 2.44 million tons of coal per year, which is 67% of total consumed coal in the city. Coal burning will produce a large amount of air pollutants. The pollutants emitted by cogeneration plants contain particulate matter, sulfur oxides (SOx), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 94 tons, 804 tons and 1,247 tons per year, respectively. Those pollutants are well-established as indicators known to pose a greater risk to sensitive groups such as children and the elderly, and PM2.5 is potentially associated with lung cancer. In addition, 7 coal-fired cogeneration plants have been emitting about 4 million of CO2 per year in the atmosphere. Therefore, how to prevent and reduce such pollutants in the atmosphere is Taoyuan’s top priority.
Therefore, the Taoyuan City Government has implemented 3 regulatory measures as follows.
1. New coal-fired power plants is not allowable in Taoyuan City.
2. No longer issuing new coal permits to cogeneration plants and factories.
3. Regulating the existed cogeneration plants to reduce the coal consumption by schedule.
In 2023, the Taoyuan City government proactively has initiated negotiations with the 7 cogeneration plants and reached an agreement of coal-free by 2030. The Taoyuan City Government has built a project team to assist these cogeneration plants to transform coal to natural gas in the schedule which they have promised. (Fig.2)
Taoyuan City has successfully joined Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) in 2023. PPCA has also announced its collaboration members including the United States, Czech Republic, Iceland, Norway, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, Kosovo, Taoyuan City and other members to combat climate change and accelerate coal phase-out. It is expected that 2.44 million of coal can be deleted in 2030, as well as 2.42 million tons of CO2 will be totally reduced which results in a significant decrease in greenhouse gas.
It is about 2.44 million tons of coal used by 7 cogeneration plants in Taoyuan. In both 2023 and 24, Taoyuan will have been phasing 350,908 tons of coal out, up to 13.3% of total amounts, by 5 cogeneration plants’ efforts. The details are explained as follows.
Plant A: With 13 MW of energy generation by 63,115 tons of coal demand per year, Plant A’s fuel is transformed from coal to natural gas. The zero coal will be implemented in 2024.
Plant B: With 113 MW of energy generation by 391,392 tons of coal demand per year, Plant B has reduced 58,709 tons of coal in 2023.
Plant C: With 48 MW of energy generation by 219,000 tons of coal demand per year, Plant C has installed a natural gas generator, with 7,500 KW of installed capacity, to reduce 72,270 tons of coal per year.
Plant D: With 3.6 MW of energy generation by 55,188 tons of coal demand per year, Plant D has transformed to alternative fuels in 2024 which reduce 55,188 tons of coal per year.
Plant E: With 57 MW of energy generation by 338,752 tons of coal demand per year, Plant E has transformed to alternative fuels in 2023 which has reduced 101,626 tons of coal.
Taoyuan City has been actively strengthening the governance of air quality and greenhouse gas control by various policies and public-private partnerships, which aim to reduce the use of coal and gradually achieve coal phase-out goals. There are 5 cogeneration plants successfully phase coal out by transforming and alternative fuels in 2023-24. The Taoyuan City Government is confident of phase out 100% coal in cogeneration plants before 2030. It is believed that the air quality in Taoyuan City will get better and better and create a healthier environment. (Fig.3)