Lack of Electricity as Nuclear Generator Taken Offline? 核二廠2號機3月將除役 恐出現供電缺口?

The Second Nuclear Power Plant's unit 2 generator will be shut down on Mar. 14 this year. However, Datan Power Plant's unit 8 generator may not be able to start supplying electricity until early April. Although the Minister of Economic Affairs said that there will be no such issues, experts had different thoughts.

Another nuclear power unit will be shut down and decommissioned this year. Will there be a gap in the domestic power supply? Experts pointed out that the shutdown of the unit 2 generator at the Second Nuclear Plant on Mar. 14 will reduce the power supply by 985,000 kW. In addition, the unit 7 gas generator at Datan Power Plant was taken offline at the end of 2022, which reduced the overall supply by 600,000 kW. Even if Datan Power Plant's unit 8 generator comes online at the end of March or early April, it can only make up for 1.1 million kW in lost power supply, resulting in a gap of nearly 500,000 kW. However, the Ministry of Economic Affairs guarantees that there will be no shortage of electricity.

Wang Mei-hua, Minister of Economic Affairs: “Related scheduling and arrangements will be made. Which is not a problem.”

Yeh Tsung-kuang, director of Tsinghua University's Nuclear Science and Technology Development Center, is skeptical. He pointed out that even if Datan unit 8 generator comes online as scheduled, there is still a gap of at least half a month after the shutdown of the Second Nuclear Power Plant's unit 2 generator. He doesn't believe Taipower has the ability to dispatch power from other supplies.

Yeh Tsung-kuang, Director, Nuclear Science and Technology Development Center, NTUA: “If we rely on dispatching power from elsewhere, the power supply will be insufficient when the nighttime demand spike appears. In fact, Taipower's options are very limited. The number of units used to generate electricity is limited.”

Taipower emphasized that the shutdown of the nuclear power unit and the delay in the launch of gas units were all known in advance. It has responded by adjusting the annual maintenance schedule of other power plants.

Wu Chin-chung, Taipower Spokesperson: “We have adjusted the relevant schedules for overhaul. Repairs that were originally scheduled to be carried out this January to March were already finished by the end of last year.”

Taipower said that Tongxiao Power Plant's small unit will be online soon. The hydraulic generator unit can also be flexibly dispatched to offer support. With these various measures, there will be no problem with the power supply this year. However, Yeh believed that in addition to the power supply risk in March and April, the yearly maintenance of units in autumn and winter and the reduction of load in response to air pollution may cause more tensions in the power supply. He does not hold an optimistic view. 

今年又有一部核電機組停機除役，國內供電會出現缺口嗎？學者指出，核二廠2號機3月14日停機，將減少98.5萬瓩供電，加上大潭電廠燃氣7號機在去年底下線，已減少60萬瓩，就算8號機在3月底4月初上線，也只能回補110萬瓩，供電缺口有近50萬瓩，但經濟部掛保證不缺電。

經濟部長王美花表示：「這個部份我們都會做好相關的調度跟安排，沒有問題。」

清大原科中心主任葉宗洸存疑，指出就算大潭8號機如期上線，但離核二2號機停機，仍有至少半個月時間落差，在這段期間，部分機組正在歲修，不認為台電有足夠籌碼來調度電力。

清大原科中心主任葉宗洸說道：「到了夜間的尖峰出現的時候，就供電就會不足，如果要靠調度，其實台電手上的籌碼是非常有限的，運用來發電的機組，數量就是有限。」

但台電強調核電機組停機、燃氣機組上線延宕，皆事先知道，已透過調整其他電廠歲修時程來因應。

台電發言人吳進忠指出：「我們已經配合調整了相關的大修檢修的這些排程進度，今年第1季1到3月要歲修的一部分的機組拉到去年底去歲修。」

台電強調，通霄小機組即將上線、水力機組彈性調度可支援，配合各種措施，今年供電不會有問題。但葉宗洸認為除了3、4月供電風險，秋冬季節機組歲修或因應空污降載，供電恐怕更緊繃，看不出有樂觀的本錢。