Hsinta Ecological Power Plant Construction Project

Description

Origin

To realize the Administration's "2025 Nuclear-Free Home" policy, changes must be made to current distribution of electricity generation, including boosting the percentage of green energy and gas combined cycle generation. Meanwhile, supplementary measures for energy-related R&D and stable power source must also be proposed to meet this goal. To this end, green energy, natural gas and nuclear-free home must be tackled in a holistic way. In addition to developing green energy, another way to boost power supply is to update existing electricity generation units.

The government will accelerate the completion of Natural Gas Terminal No. 3 and increase the ratio of natural gas in fuel mix. This move, as a critical supplementary measure of "Stable nuclear energy reduction en route to nuclear-free home", will not only mitigate air pollution but also buy time to develop green electricity generation options. The government's goal is to establish an energy supply system that is low-emission, sustainable, high quality, stable, efficient and cost-effective. Aside from achieving nuclear-free home in 2025, the ratio of renewable energy in the power supply equation must also reach 20%.

The continuous addition of power from renewable energy feeding into the grid is an unstoppable trend. To address the overall need of Taiwan's electricity supply system and environmental issues such as CO2 reduction, natural gas will only increase in importance in the energy mix.

Brief of Project Content

Hsinta Power Plant is located at No. 6, Hsinta Rd., Yongan District, Kaohsiung City. The Plant is currently divided into two sites. The primary electricity generation equipment is located at Plant Area No. 1, while Plant Area No. 2 encompasses salt fields TPC purchased from TAIYEN in 1986. Plant No. 1 occupies an area of 147.8 hectares at the intersection of Yongan and Qieding districts in Kaohsiung City. Located in Yantian Borough, Yongan District, it is flanked by Hsinta Fishing Harbor to the north and Taiwan Strait to the west. The site is surrounded by Taiwan Strait, fish farms and fishing harbor and both its northbound and southbound accesses depend solely on Provincial Highway No. 17 to the east. Plant No. 2 (the competition site, hereinafter as the "Project Site" is to the southeast of Plant No. 1. At 130 hectares, it is bound by Yanbao Rd. (Lane 7, Yongda Rd.) to the south, Hsinta Rd. to the west and, to the east, Zhuzaigang Channel (a public watercourse) linking to a lagoon. The south side of the site encompasses Yongan Salt Field Wetland. A 41.25-hectare area in the southern end of Yongan Salt Field was designated as a locally important wetland in a reassessment conducted during the fourth session (July 21, 2017) of 2017 meetings by the "Ministry of the Interior Important Wetland Review Committee". The Committee concluded that the area boasts rich ecological features and strong potential in environmental education.

There is also a 1.3-hectare office building for the former Wushulin Salt Manufacturing Company within the extent of the wetland. Rich in historical significance and worthy of conservation, it was designated by Kaohsiung City Government as a municipal historical architecture on May 21, 2008.

The building form and landscape design of a power plant must also take into consideration the spatial and functional needs of a power generating facility, which tend to hinder innovation. In the planning of Hsinta Ecological Power Plant as a brand-new facility, TPC hopes to introduce innovative design and ideas and attract reputable design teams around the world while establishing a green corporate image.
By undertaking its building form and landscape planning through an international conceptual design competition, thus shaping the vision and image for the future plant, TPC hopes to realize breakthrough concepts for the next-generation power plant--one that aligns itself with leading global standards to become a local landmark.

The image embodied by the new plant will also serve to promote TPC's corporate philosophy, help the public better identify with power plants in the country and enhance the corporate image through promotional activities. The result of the competition will serve to inform the plant's future design and construction, toward making the final product the pride of all local residents.