High Quality Power Service Provider Electricity Inclusion and Reliability
Taiwan Power Company
The concept of electricity inclusion implies that Taipower is devoted to ensuring that all people, particularly the poor, vulnerable and those in rural areas, have equal access to electricity services.
INTRODUCTION
As Taiwan’s main power utility, The Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) assumes the major responsibility of ensuring a stable power supply. In this role, the company has two major goals: electricity inclusion and reliability.The concept of electricity inclusion implies that Taipower is devoted to ensuring that all people, particularly the poor, vulnerable and those in rural areas, have equal access to electricity services. This goal is closely aligned with the first of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 1) – to end poverty in all its forms everywhere. Taipower has set a 100% power availability target and has currently achieved 99.99% power availability.
The second concept, achieving electricity reliability, means that the company seeks to ensure a steady and uninterrupted supply of power. In pursuing this goal, Taipower established a “Power Supply Reliability Management Mechanism” and “Management Guidelines and Implementation Responsibilities for Urgent Repairs after Disasters.” The company has also begun employing smart grids to ensure a stable power supply and to mitigate the losses incurred by climate change. This goal is aligned with the ninth and thirteenth Sustainable Development Goals – to develop resilient infrastructure (SDG 9) and act to combat climate change (SDG 13).
FRAMEWORK AND STRATEGY
To promote electricity inclusion, Taipower’s strategies are as follows:- Expand Service Stations and Feeder Lines
Taipower has established 269 service stations in Taiwan along with 9,781 feeder lines to achieve 99.99% power availability. - Provide an Offshore Power Accessibility Subsidy
To ensure offshore islands have equal access to electricity services, Taipower use the average price instead of power supply costs to set power prices. The resulting negative cost gap is then bridged by government funding and Taipower. - Develop Localized Service Innovation
Residents in remote mountainous areas frequently have difficulties accessing Taipower’s power service applications. Therefore, Taipower launched the “Power Grocery Store” in collaboration with local services such as elderly day care centers. This project has established widely dispersed service locations that offer affected residents convenient services to increase their power service accessibility.
Taipower’s “Power Supply Reliability Management Mechanism” incorporates five dimensions: periodic review and analysis, distribution feeder automation, risk management, personnel training and strengthen audits. This mechanism increases electricity reliability through daily operations. In the case of urgent environmental disasters, Taipower assigns a climate disaster adaptation team and initiates related management process to control and mitigate climate impacts. Additionally, Taipower has devoted itself to building up smart and micro grids to enhance the resiliency capabilities of the company’s facilities.
ACHIEVEMENT AND IMPACT
Taipower’s power availability rate has already reached 99.99%, ensuring that almost everyone has access to electricity services. According to the “Doing Business Report 2017” published by the World Bank, Taiwan has been ranked 2nd worldwide for three consecutive years in the category of “getting electricity.” This result surpasses other developed nations such as Germany, Switzerland and Hong Kong.Taipower has also achieved a line loss rate of 3.85%. This performance is ranked 2nd worldwide and represents excellent performance for a power company. In addition, Taipower developed its first disaster-proof micro grid for the Fushan Tribe of Wulai in New Taipei City. The grid will be able to supply power for up to 14 days and prevent the area from suffering extended power outages. It will also enhance the local capability for climate adaptation and therefore increase electricity reliability.
FUTURE DIRECTION
Since the power availability rate has already reached 99.99%, Taipower will focus future efforts on implementing different localized programs to increase electricity access for vulnerable groups and remote areas. It is our duty to make electricity services more convenient.Taipower will also continue to construct smart grids that make the management process more intelligent and resilient for Taipower, and to enhance the company’s capabilities in operational maintenance. In addition, the company will work to build up disaster-proof micro grids in conjunction with distribution feeder automation to minimize the area affected by power outages caused by accidents. The company’s Fushan micro-grid demonstration program will facilitate this by providing operational data that allows for the expansion of the micro-grid program to other offshore or remote areas with high power supply costs.
Taiwan Power Company was established on May 1, 1946. It is a vertically integrated electrical power utility company. Its business scopes includes generation, transmission, distribution and service of electricity. To pursue sustainable development and to develop the power market, Taipower has promoted organizational transformation by establishing four business divisions in January 2016. These include: Power Generation, Nuclear Power,Transmission Systems, and Distribution and Services.
