Taiwan’s state-owned power company has launched groundbreaking trials that could revolutionize the island’s energy landscape. Taipower’s research institute is testing innovative fuel-blending technology at its thermal power plant in Kaohsiung, marking a significant step toward cleaner electricity generation. The pilot program represents Taiwan’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions while maintaining a reliable power supply. These tests could establish new standards for sustainable energy production across Asia.
Hydrogen blending technology reduces carbon emissions significantly
Taipower began operating successfully on a 5 MW natural gas and hydrogen fuel mixture power generation facility in September 2023 at the Kaohsiung thermal power plant. The company uses tailored turbine equipment to handle the blended fuel sources without incurring losses in efficiency and safety levels. The project highlights Taiwan’s positive advances in pursuing clean power production without endangering the power grid. Engineering design is crucial when blending fuel sources.
The current hydrogen mixture that the facility is operating with is at 15%, and it is expected to increase this percentage in the coming years. With the current mixture, each hourly operation of the facility decreases carbon emissions by 90 kilograms as opposed to burning conventional natural gas. The role of this technology is to act as a bridge between fossil fuel power and fully renewable energy power.
Company pursues aggressive goal of 20 percent hydrogen blend by 2028
Taipower also adopted state-of-the-art monitoring systems so that it can supervise the blending of hydrogen gas. Taipower launched the “Taipower D/S One” exhibition area in the surrounding area of Banqiao Station. The event area is to display the success story of Taipower in overcoming power disruptions, digitization, and lowering carbon.
The aim for Taipower to achieve a 20% mixture of hydrogen in its Kaohsiung power plant by 2028 is a key objective, and this is much higher compared to its current mixture levels for production. As such, more development needs to take place so that it can be safe for high mixture levels of hydrogen to be produced. This would make Taipower one of the global leaders in hydrogen-blended power production.
The strategy for the expansion is to raise the concentration level of hydrogen slowly and observe the behavior of the system and the level of reduction achieved in the emissions. The technical aspects concerning the turbines, fuel system, and safety mechanisms for the high concentration level of hydrogen must be addressed by the technical personnel.
Integrated energy systems support Taiwan’s renewable transition
Taipower has also established the first microgrid in Taiwan that has the ability to switch affected areas to the use of local generation units during a typhoon. The microgrid not only increases the resilience of the grid but also supports the integration of renewable resources in Taiwan. The latest monitoring system evaluates the patterns of power dispatch with the goal of optimizing the efficiency of the power dispatch while protecting the environment.
The firm has developed a hydrogen energy storage system based on the use of electrolysis to generate hydrogen from surplus renewable energy. The new system can combine solar energy and become a trial platform for green energy solutions, set to roll out at a solar power plant in the south of the country in 2027. Artificial intelligence-based drone technology with image recognition capabilities and 5G communication adds value to power plant examinations, identifying possible dangers in boiler pipes and transmission lines.
The hydrogen blending project in Taiwan is a major step towards a clean energy blend. The success story of Taipower in the Kaohsiung plant is a major milestone that shows it is possible to blend hydrogen gas with natural gas. The unprecedented announcement made by the firm to accomplish it by 2028 is a clear indication of the strength of the Taiwanese government’s ambition to dominate the clean energy industry in the Asian market.
