After Premier Inspects Taichung Plant, DPP Lawmaker Urges City Not to Block Coal-Unit Demolition

Premier Cho Jung-tai's inspection of the Taichung power plant was followed by a visit from Mayor Lu Shiow-yen, as pressure grew over the next step in the plant's shift from coal to gas.

Cho said Taiwan Power would contract the demolition of coal-fired units 1 and 2 and declared that the utility's goal of making the plant coal-free by 2034 must be achieved. Lu released photographs from an earlier protest at the plant before leading her city government team inside to inspect the new gas-generation units and the progress of the coal-unit demolition.

Democratic Progressive Party Taichung councilor Chang Chia-an said the first phase of coal-unit removal had finally reached the point of action. “Increasing gas and reducing coal is a local consensus,” she said, while warning that the demolition cannot proceed without a permit from the Taichung City Government.

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Increasing gas and reducing coal is a local consensus.

Chang said dismantling the units requires approval through the city's urban planning review, just as construction of new gas-fired units does. She questioned whether the city government would delay even the demolition permit. Local councilors and village representatives from Longjing District also expressed their views during the inspection.

Chang pointed to a previous dispute over Taiwan Power's gas expansion plan. Taiwan Power submitted the project for city review after passing an environmental impact assessment in 2020, but the city government held it up for more than 15 months, citing the failure to pass urban planning review. She said local residents want the gas transition accelerated and warned that the city could again hold up the demolition plan.

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The goal of making Taichung power plant coal-free by 2034 must definitely be achieved.