To fulfill its social responsibility and accomplish the goal of power construction projects in tune with environmental quality, Taipower has always done its utmost in environmental protection tasks while engaging in power construction projects. In addition to meeting various national regulations for environmental protection, the company, according to the government's revised energy policy, proactively planned and promoted energy conservation and carbon reduction tasks through three approaches - supply-side, demand-side, and environmental protection.

    In 2008, the major tasks were :

1. Nuclear Power Generation Project

    Taipower has made every effort to accelerate the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant for its commercial operation. The “Guidelines for Sustainable Energy Policy” unveiled by the Executive Yuan in June 2008, listed nuclear power generation as an option for non-carbon energy development. Taipower has been studying relevant matters for the future expansion plan of nuclear power units. Taipower is currently evaluating the feasibility of expanding the existing nuclear power plants at their vacant spaces, and the evaluating results will serve as an important basis for Taipower's subsequent promotion and expansion of nuclear units.

2. Best Available Techniques for Newly Installed Units

    The Shenao, Linkou, Changgong, and Talin Thermal Power Plants will be installed with super-critical coal-fired units, with each unit efficiency reaching 42.3% (HHV-G). For the Changgong Thermal Power Plant, its CO2 emission intensity will be reduced about 10%, compared with its current thermal units.

3. Proper Ratio of LNG Power Generation

    In the Tunghsiao Thermal Power Plant retrofit project, Taipower plans to install four LNG-fired combined-cycle units, 700 MW each, from 2014 to 2015. Each unit's generation efficiency will reach as high as 58％(LHV). According to Taipower Power Development Program 9608, it is estimated that by 2018, the ratio of gas-fired power generation will reach 27.5%.

4. Increase of Renewable Energy

    This includes wind power and solar energy (please refer to pages 35 & 37). It is estimated that the installed capacity will reach 5,130 MW in 2010.

    A unit efficiency upgrading project has been undertaken in Hsinta Units 1&2, and Taichung Units 1-8. It is estimated that the Hsinta Units, after completion, can reduce 67,548 tons of CO2 emissions.

    To maintain thermal power generation along with the reduction of carbon emissions, Taipower has attentively collected the information of the IGCC plants with CO2 capture design from developed countries. At the same time, research has also been made to access and introduce to Taiwan the CCS related technologies.

    In recent years, Taipower has devoted itself to the study of environmentally-friendly CO2-mitigating microalgal photobioreactors. In 2008, large microalgal photobioreactors were constructed in the Talin Thermal Power Plant. Meanwhile, technologies of further converting biomass to high-value byproducts are being developed.

1. Starting from inside the company, Taipower established a“Taipower Energy Conservation Promotion Task Force”and stipulated the“Guidelines for Energy Conservation Evaluation”to conduct monthly follow-up checks and reviews. An “Energy Conservation Billboard”was also established to praise and encourage the units with outstanding performance.

2. Taipower strengthened external energy conservation campaigns through various channels: Internet, school activities, community meetings, a mother classroom, energy conservation exhibitions, etc. Consultant services were also provided to large customers.

3. Taipower held a “2008 National Energy Conservation Competition” in regional communities and each level of schools in an attempt to promote energy conservation to daily life. There were 358 communities and 796 schools participating in this event. During the 4-month (July-October) period, the reduction of the total power consumption of all the participants was 24.6 million KWh. It was equivalent to 15,680 tons of carbon reduction and a result of planting 630,000 trees.

4. Along with the adjustment of its tariff schedules, Taipower implemented an incentive measure. If the power consumption growth rate was zero or negative as compared with the same period of the previous year, the customers were entitled to have a tariff discount according to the amount they had saved. In July-December 2008, the amount of power saved was 2.6 billion KWh. The tariff posted a reduction of NT$3.8 billion and carbon emissions were decreased by 1.64 million tons.

    A designated unit continued its task to promote the improvement of the company's facilities. To meet the regulations stipulated by the Environmental Protection Administration, this unit is in charge of the company's environmental protection control business. Through proper planning, controlling and improvement, the impact of power facilities on the environment has been reduced to a minimum.

In 2008, the environmental protection performance achievements were:

1. The Hsinta Thermal Power Plant was awarded a Gold Medal as“the Best Environmental Performance Power Plant of the Year” in the 2008 Asian Power Awards.

2. The Talin Thermal Power Plant was awarded the 2008 Excellent Performance Award for enterprises waste disposal, renewable resource disposal and reduction resource recycling.

3. The ISO 14064-2 GHG voluntary CO2 emission reduction of the Tunghsiao and Hsinta Thermal Power Plants, 56,338 tons and 12,607 tons, were confirmed by an international validation organization.

4. The achievements of thermal power plants on environmental protection: the particles were reduced from 745 Kg/106KWh to 32Kg/106KWh, SOx from 6,323 Kg/106KWh to 443 Kg/106KWh , and NOx from 1,503 Kg/106KWh to 423 Kg/106KWh .

5. Environmental radiological monitoring showed that the public exposure is less than 1.5x10-3 mSv per year near the sites of the three nuclear power plants.