Is Taiwan restoring power supply?

Lam Yik Fei / Bloomberg via Getty Images file TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan is gradually restoring power supply, the state-run power operator said on Thursday, after much of the island’s south and 5 million households were hit by an outage caused by a malfunction at a major power generation plant.

What happened to Taiwan's Power Supply?

On Wednesday, four substations suffered simultaneous power failures due to the increased demand, including substations in Taoyuan, New Taipei, and Taichung. Total power capacity dropped by an estimated 3 million kilowatts, which briefly brought Taiwan’s reserve power supply below the mandated 8% threshold, reported UDN.

Why is Taiwan bringing power plants online?

Hydro and other power plants are being brought online to provide electricity, said Taipower, which blamed a problem with a transformer at the Hsinta power plant in the southern city of Kaohsiung for a trip at an ultra-high-voltage substation. The major coal-fired station provides about a seventh of Taiwan’s power.

Why did Taipei lose power?

Operator Taipower said electricity was in the process of being restored after a problem occurred at the Hsinta power plant which caused an ultra-high voltage substation to trip, leading to the power failure. Parts of northern Taiwan, including Taipei, also lost power.

How did Taipower help in Kaohsiung?

Taipower brought in crews from Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Taichung, and Changhua to assist in areas with severe damage, such as Yunlin, Chiayi, and Fengshan. Flooding in Kaohsiung has damaged underground electrical equipment in many buildings.

Why is Taiwan relying more on coal-fired plants?

Amid rising summer temperatures, multiple power outages were reported this week following the decommissioning of Taiwan’s last operational nuclear reactor on May 17. To deal with the diminished energy capacity, electrical grids in southern Taiwan are relying more on coal-fired plants to keep up with increased demand for energy, reported CNA.