Response Measures to Air Pollution
The Company has formulated air pollution management strategies for thermal power plants. These include load reductions during periods of poor air quality and sufficient power supply. Taipower also conducted a comprehensive inventory of existing control equipment, planned to set up high-efficiency air pollution control equipment, and continuously improved on air pollution improvement measures for thermal power plants in three stages: short, medium, and long-term. These measures ensure a balance is achieved between power supply and environmental protection. The short, medium, and long-term goals are detailed below. It is particularly worth mentioning that Taipower has achieved its target ahead of schedule in 2020. At the 2020 Environment Month conference, it demonstrated the Company’s efforts to improve air pollution by further increasing its commitment and revised the emission reduction target by more than 60% for 2025 and 70% for 2030 compared to 2016.
Taipower's Environmental Policy - Short, Medium, and Long-Term Goals
|
Strategy |
Protect environmental qualityKey strategic dimension |
Manage air pollution emissions |
Short-term goal - by 2021 |
Medium-term goal - by 2025 |
Long-term goal - by 2030 |
|
Original target |
Air pollution emission intensity will be reduced by 30% compared to 2016 |
Air pollution emission intensity will be reduced by 40% compared to 2016 |
Air pollution emission intensity will be reduced by 50% compared to 2016 |
|
Revised target in 2020 Environment Month |
Air pollution emission intensity will be reduced by 30% compared to 2016 |
Air pollution emission intensity will be reduced by 60% compared to 2016 |
Air pollution emission intensity will be reduced by 70% compared to 2016 |
|
Wastewater Reuse
Taipower actively pursues a goal of zero wastewater discharge. Rainwater collection (at power plants and dormitories) and wastewater reuse projects have been pursued to reduce the use of tap water inside power plants through comprehensive planning.
Through the utilization of various water-saving measures, the wastewater recovery results for 2020 are as follows (Note that flue gas desulfurization, FGD, wastewater is not reused as it contains a high salt content which is likely to cause equipment corrosion and soil salinization. As such it is not included in the calculation of wastewater volumes).
Reclaimed and Reused Wastewater in Thermal Power Plants
| Item | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reuse of Rainwater | 230,087.3 | 96,557.9 | 108,959.0 |
| Reuse of Effluent and Wastewater from Processes and Boiler Blowdowns | 2,172,782.9 | 2,605,645.9 | 2,682,750.82 |
Waste Management System
Taipower established a By-product Resource Utilization Steering Committee to develop strategies and response plans for maximizing by-product resource utilization through cross-unit cooperation. Its responsibilities include the development and implementation of coal ash and gypsum removal strategies, review of the current coal ash bidding specifications in power plants, the application for a green mark for fly ash and gypsum products, and planning related incentive mechanisms that enhance the utilization rate of fly ash concrete at all units.
For nuclear energy-related waste, Taipower has completed short, medium, and long-term planning schemes in accordance with its responsibilities for the treatment, storage, and disposal of high and low-level radioactive waste.
Taipower’s Short, Medium and Long-Term Environmental Policy Goals
Short-term |
Medium-term |
Long-term |
|
Storage and disposal process for low-level radioactive waste |
Before 1996, waste was sent to the Lanyu low-level radioactive storage yard for temporary storage. Since 1996, it has been temporarily stored in the low-level radioactive storage depots of power plants. |
A temporary storage facility is planned for the medium term and material will be trans- ported to the facility for storage. |
Transport from short- term facilities or mid-term temporary storage facilities to a final disposal site. |
Storage and disposal process for used nuclear fuel |
In keeping with international norms, the used nuclear fuel is stored in a dry storage facility after temporary storage in a used nuclear fuel pool. |
Utilization of Industrial Waste
Reuse of Coal Ash and Desulfurized Gypsum
| Waste | Reuse practice | 2020 production |
2020 reuse volume |
2020 reuse ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coal ash | Taipower has encouraged its engineering units to use fly ash in civil construction projects and to fill trenches. This raises the volume and utilization rate of fly ash and reduces the environmental burden. | 2,209 thousand tons | 1,982 thousand tons | 89.7% |
| Desulfurized gypsum | To improve air quality, coal-fired thermal power plants have flue gas desulfurization equipment installed to remove sulfur oxides from flue gas. Limestone slurry is then used to create gypsum through the chemical processes of absorption, neutralization, oxidation, and crystallization. The resultant desulfurized gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) can be used by local cement and fire- retardant board makers. | 296 thousand tons | 292 thousand tons | 98.6% |
Environmental Sustainability Strategy Refinement
Taipower is committed to minimizing the negative impact on the surrounding environment during operations and maximizing its positive influence on society and the environment. In addition to carrying out neighborhood activities at power plants, such as beach cleaning, fish fry releasesing, green space adoption, and building artificial reefs, Taipower continues to conduct environmental education and carefully evaluates environmental factors before power plant expansions and unit additions. Moreover, Taipower conducts in-depth communication with local stakeholders to ensure legality and compliance and to achieve win-win situations for society, the environment, and Taipower.
Taipower's Short, Medium, and Long-Term Environmental Policy Goals
Short-term goal - by 2021 |
Medium-term goal - by 2025 |
Long-term goal - by 2030 |
|
|
Strategy |
Refine management systemsKey strategic dimension |
Develop intelligent management |
Coverage of intelli- gent management and services will reach 52% (Including the cumu- lative deployment of smart meters in 1.5 million households, representing 69% of the total national power consumption) |
Coverage of intelli- gent management and services will reach 65% (including the cumu- lative deployment of smart meters in three million households, representing 81% of the total national power consumption) |
Coverage of intelli- gent management and services will reach 82% (including the completion of smart meters installa- tions in six million households after a feasibility assessment of smart meters, representing 85% of the total national power consumption) |
|
Strategy |
Create ecological inclusivenessKey strategic dimension |
Plan the fusion of faci- lities and ecologies |
Produce at least one ecologically inclusive plans for power facilities |
Produce at least three ecologically inclusive plans for power facilities |
Produce at least five ecologically inclusive plans for power facilities |
|
Strategy |
Expand internal and external engagementKey strategic dimension |
Deliver information on electricity and the environment |
Annual communica- tion of environmental protection information will reach 480 thousand people |
Annual communica- tion of environmental protection information will reach 700 thousand people |
Annual communica- tion of environmental protection information will reach 750 thousand people |