After 15 years of preparatory work and construction, the Bihai Hydropower Plant in eastern Taiwan’s Hualien County will begin operation in October, state-run Taiwan Power Co. said Aug. 11.
With an installed capacity of 61,200 kilowatts, the new facility is expected to provide 237 million kilowatt-hours of electricity every year for Hualien residents, Taipower said.
Company officials said the electricity supply in the Hualien area is insufficient during peak hours. “To meet demand, we transport high voltage electricity from a hydroelectric facility at Sun Moon Lake in central Taiwan and a nuclear power plant in Pingtung, but it is very costly.”
“With the Bihai plant, however, we estimate that 18 hours of water capture and storage daily will generate enough electricity to supply the six hours of peak consumption.”
From a dam 545 meters above sea level on the Heping South River, water will flow along a 6,549-meter-long channel to the plant downstream at 100 meters altitude, where electricity will be generated with a turbine.
The project cost NT$16.5 billion (US$ 569 million), but is expected to save 231,000 metric tons of carbon emissions per year, officials noted.
Started in 1996, geological surveys and exploratory drilling for the project were hampered by the site’s remote location amid virgin forests and rugged terrain. Actual construction did not begin until 2001, Taipower said.
The company said it has taken several measures to reduce the environmental impact of the plant and ensure safety. “When the river level swells, we will open the floodgates to release water and prevent the buildup of sediment.”
With hill cherry and rhododendron planted around the dam area, Taipower also expects the lake to become a popular tourism spot boosting the local economy. (THN)
Write to Aaron Hsu at pj1210meister@mail.gio.gov.tw