DEEP SEA WATER PROJECT FAILS TO BRING TAITUNG BENEFITS|近7億打造深層海水中心 修復工程拖4年

The previous government invested NT$700 million in the Eastern Taiwan Deep Sea Water Innovation and Research Center in Taitung. However, after just two months of use, the center fell out of use in 2012, due to damaged pipelines. Four years later the repair work has not yet been completed. Residents are disappointed because the center did not kickstart local development as they had hoped. The Eastern Taiwan Deep Sea Water Innovation and Research Center in Taitung County's Taimali Township has become a so-called mosquito trap. It fell into disuse not long after its construction in 2012. Companies moved out, with just two left struggling to stay in business. The government's huge investment in the center did not bring 'blue' gold to Taitung. Residents are disappointed because they thought the deep sea water would kickstart local development. ==MR. WANG, resident== I thought the center would start local development, but it didn't. The pipelines were destroyed by typhoons. Millions and millions of dollars were spent on the project. The deep water sea intake plan in Taitung was one of the previous administration's i-Taiwan 12 infrastructure projects. The center cost NT$680 million to complete. It was supposed to intake 12,000 tons of deep sea water per day to be used for research into commercial use. Since the project started, the center's construction was suspended by typhoon several times. The center was finally officially opened in March, 2012. However, it went out of service just two months later because the marine pipelines were buried by sand, making them unable to intake deep sea water. The repair work has taken over 4 years, without any deadline for completion. == LIAO KUO-TUNG, KMT legislator== After studying the hydrology of the center's location, it is found that the pipelines should not even be built there. The hydrology Investigation took four years. I think they are just making an excuse for their irresponsibility. ==WANG I-FENG, Spokesperson, WRA, MOEA== Last year, we invited four experts from Japan to study the case. Now there are four new plans made to solve the problem. We may put one of the plans into practice, which is moving the intake location further north. The Water Resources Agency, Ministry of Economic Affairs said research will continue even though the deep sea intake plan is suspended. Four new plans have been developed to reorganize the pipelines. After receiving approval from the Executive Yuan, it is estimated that the center will resume to intake deep sea water as early as the end of 2017. TRANSLATED BY：ARIEL HSIEH 馬政府時代，投資近7億，在台東打造「東部深層海水、創新研發中心」，要推動「深層海水」抽取計畫，但2012年啟用之後，不到2個月時間，「取水管線」就被海砂淹沒，修復工程一拖就是四年，至今仍然停擺。當地居民原本寄望深層海水,能帶動在地產業發展,看起來遙遙無期。 位在台東縣太麻里鄉的「東部深層海水創新研發中心」,如今就像蚊子館,進駐廠商紛紛求去,廠區內只剩兩家公司,想當初風光落成,政府投入大筆資金,打得是開發海上藍金,但卻沒能點石成金,為東部創造商機,當地民眾感到無奈,原先寄望深層海水,能帶動當地產業發展,沒想到淪為泡影。 ==台東縣農民 王先生== （想說）可能會發展起來這樣 失敗了 颱風一來(管線)都沉壞了 花了幾億 幾億去了 台東深層海水抽取計畫,曾是馬政府愛台12項建設之一,當時政府一口氣砸下6.8億,打造「東部深層海水創新研發中心」,宣稱每天能抽取1.2萬噸深層海水,能應用在礦物濃縮,藻類研究等,不過這項工程從一開始就不順利,遭遇颱風破壞,多次中斷,最後2012年3月正式啟用,結果不到兩個月,就因為管線遭海砂淹沒,取水陷入停擺,修復工程一拖4年,至今沒下文。 ==國民黨立委 廖國棟== 這個水文一調查 說那個地方根本就不能布管 一個水文調查要做四年 我覺得他們在推託 ==經濟部水利署發言人 王藝峰== 在去年 我們邀集了日本的專家 進一步的一個研議 有四個方案 其中有一個試驗的方案 很有可能我們會把 取水的地點往北移 水利署強調,雖然取水工程暫時中斷,不過研發還是持續進行,已規劃四套方案,重新布管線,但還是得等到行政院核定,預計最快明年底,就可以重新取水。 記者 黃立偉 張梓嘉 章明哲 台北台東綜合報導