Taiwan follows global trend, relies on natural gas for power

Taiwan's energy strategy, like much of the world's, is increasingly leaning on natural gas to meet escalating electricity demands, especially those fueled by the burgeoning artificial intelligence sector. Tseng Wen-sheng, chairman of the Taiwan Power Company (Taipower), affirmed that increasing the proportion of gas-fired power plants is an international trend, with Taiwan's approach mirroring global practices.

Tseng explained that gas units are prioritized for their ability to provide power quickly and their relatively smaller land requirements, making them suitable for Taiwan's limited space. "In the choice of rapidly providing electricity, the choice to increase gas-fired units is an international trend, and Taiwan is almost the same as the whole world," he stated. "We all build natural gas units first to deal with the short-term urgent needs."

Taipower has updated its projections for electricity demand, anticipating further growth from future semiconductor manufacturing generations like 1.4nm and 1nm. The company believes it can meet these demands, provided all power plants proceed steadily according to Taipower's supply plans. Tseng emphasized a shift in Taipower's operational focus from calculating overall demand to managing individual power plant and science park requirements, ensuring a precise match between supply and grid capacity.

Globally, China leads in the addition of new gas-fired power units, followed by the United States, with Taiwan ranking third. This positioning highlights Taipower's proactive energy deployment. Tseng views the AI boom as a significant opportunity for Taiwan, poised to contribute substantially to the island's economic growth.

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In the choice of rapidly providing electricity, the choice to increase gas-fired units is an international trend, and Taiwan is almost the same as the whole world. We all build natural gas units first to deal with the short-term urgent needs.