đUnit-Level Status
Real-time status of each power generation unit including capacity, net generation, and operating status. Click tabs to filter by fuel type.
| Unit | Fuel Type | Capacity (MW) | Net Gen. (MW) | Load Factor | Load | Status |
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đUnderstanding Taiwan's Power Grid
Taiwan operates an isolated power grid (not interconnected with other countries), meaning all electricity must be generated domestically in real-time. This makes operating reserve management critically important. Understanding each generation type helps explain Taiwan's energy transition challenges.
Currently Taiwan's primary power source, accounting for ~40% of total generation. CCGT plants achieve over 60% thermal efficiency with half the carbon emissions of coal. Taipower's six major gas plants (Tatan, Tongxiao, Xingda, Southern, Taichung, Talin) serve as baseload and mid-load workhorses.
Carbon intensity: ~0.37 kgCO2/kWh
Traditional baseload source with higher carbon emissions and air pollution. Major plants include Taichung, Linkou, and Xingda. Coal is being gradually reduced under decarbonization policies, with "friendly load reduction" during poor air quality periods. Government targets coal below 20% by 2030.
Carbon intensity: ~0.84 kgCO2/kWh
Installed capacity has exceeded 14 GW, making it the leading renewable source. Concentrated in central and southern Taiwan, solar can contribute over 10 GW during summer midday peaks. Limitations include zero output at night and reduced efficiency on cloudy days, requiring energy storage for grid balancing.
2025 target: 20 GW installed capacity
Both onshore and offshore wind capacity are growing steadily. The Taiwan Strait is one of the world's best offshore wind corridors, with peak generation during the winter northeast monsoon season. Offshore wind targets: 5.7 GW by 2025, 13.1 GW by 2030.
Capacity factor: Onshore 25-30% | Offshore 40-50%
Includes conventional hydro (Deji, Tsengwen, Feitsui reservoirs) and pumped-storage hydro (Daguan II, Mingtan). Pumped storage is currently the largest-scale energy storage method â pumping water uphill during off-peak and releasing during peak demand, playing a critical role in grid dispatch.
Pumped storage: ~2.6 GW (key dispatch tool)
Battery storage (BESS) is growing rapidly, used for frequency regulation, peak-shaving, and renewable energy integration. Taipower targets over 1 GW of storage by 2025. ESS can respond to grid frequency changes in milliseconds, maintaining supply stability.
Response time: milliseconds | Efficiency: 85-95%
đŚSupply Status Indicators
Taipower uses a four-level color-coded system based on the operating reserve rate to indicate grid supply adequacy and blackout risk. Operating Reserve = Max Supply Capacity - Estimated Peak Load.
đ˘ Adequate Supply (⼠10%)
Operating reserve rate above 10%. Supply is comfortable with sufficient margin to handle unexpected unit trips or sudden load increases. This is the ideal operating state.
đĄ Tight Supply (6% ~ 10%)
Reserve is low but still adequate for typical contingencies. Taipower may activate demand response programs (reducing large industrial loads) as a precaution.
đ Supply Alert (⤠6%)
Insufficient system margin. If another large unit trips, rolling blackouts become a real risk. Taipower activates emergency generators and issues power-saving appeals.
đ´ Blackout Warning (⤠500 MW)
Operating reserve below 900 MW triggers a blackout warning. Below 500 MW, rolling blackouts by district may be implemented. This is the most critical alert level.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Taiwan's electricity system and this dashboard.
What is the operating reserve rate and why does it matter?
Operating Reserve Rate = (Max Supply Capacity - Estimated Peak Load) / Estimated Peak Load x 100%. It reflects the safety margin of the power system â a higher reserve means greater ability to handle unexpected generator failures or sudden load increases. Internationally, a reserve rate above 15% is considered healthy, but Taiwan's summers frequently operate in the 6-10% "tight" range.
Why is electricity supply tighter in summer?
Summer heat (June-September) drives massive air conditioning demand, pushing peak load above 40,000 MW. Some units are in scheduled maintenance (ideally done in spring/autumn). Additionally, solar output drops sharply after sunset (the "duck curve" effect), creating a net load peak around 5-7 PM. These three factors combine to make summer the most strained period for Taiwan's grid.
Where does Taiwan's electricity come from?
Taiwan's 2024 generation mix was approximately: Natural Gas 42%, Coal 32%, Renewables 12% (primarily solar), Nuclear 6%, Hydro 4%, Others 4%. The government's energy transition target is "Gas 50%, Coal 30%, Renewables 20%" by 2025. As nuclear plants are decommissioned, the gap is being filled by gas and renewables.
What is the "Duck Curve" and how does it affect Taiwan?
The Duck Curve describes the shape of the net load curve (total load minus solar generation) when solar capacity is high â net load drops sharply during midday as solar peaks, then ramps up steeply as the sun sets. For Taiwan, this means potentially needing to curtail thermal plants at noon, then rapidly ramping up thousands of MW within hours in the evening, creating extreme dispatch challenges. Energy storage is key to solving the duck curve.
What are IPPs and how much power do they provide?
IPPs (Independent Power Producers) provide over 20% of Taiwan's electricity. Gas-fired IPPs include Haihu, Xintao, Guoguang, Xingzhang, Jiahui, and Fengde. Coal-fired IPPs include Mailiao (Formosa Plastics) and Hoping. IPPs sell electricity to Taipower under Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for national grid dispatch. Co-generation facilities also contribute significantly.
Where does this data come from? How often is it updated?
All data comes 100% from Taiwan Power Company's open data (taipower.com.tw), including real-time supply information (loadpara), unit-level generation (genary), and fuel-type time series (loadfueltype). Data is updated every 10 minutes by Taipower. All values originate from Taipower's Energy Management System (EMS) and may have minor discrepancies from actual values due to maintenance or transmission delays.
What is "Friendly Load Reduction"?
When air quality deteriorates (e.g., AQI reaches orange warning level), Taipower voluntarily reduces coal plant output to lower SOx, NOx, and PM2.5 emissions â called "friendly load reduction." Reduction is typically 20-40% of rated capacity. While this temporarily reduces supply capacity, it effectively improves regional air quality. Taichung Power Plant has significantly reduced emissions through this measure in recent years.
Why is Taiwan pursuing energy transition?
Three key drivers: (1) Carbon commitments â Taiwan targets net-zero by 2050, and the power sector accounts for ~60% of national emissions; (2) Nuclear phase-out â all three nuclear plants (six units) are being decommissioned, requiring replacement capacity; (3) Air pollution â coal plants are a major pollution source with strong public pressure to reduce. The transition path relies on expanding renewables (solar + wind) with gas as a bridge, developing energy storage, and building smart grids.