Following the groundbreaking on the 'geothermal exploration well' on Green Island (Lyudao) at the end of last year (2017), Taipower will cooperate with CPC to explore the geothermal energy at Renze and Tuchang in Yilan County! Taipower pointed out that the estimated total installed capacity of the geothermal energy at Renze and Tuchang shall reach 8MW. The exploration shall start from Renze area and then extend to Tuchang area. The total investment of Renze geothermal power station is about NT$0.6 billion; its installed capacity is about 2MW and the annual energy output will exceed 10 million kwh, which shall supply power for about 3,000 households for their energy consumption throughout the year. A new well drilling is planned to be carried out the second half of 2018, groundbreaking for the plant in 2020 and synchronizing in parallel in 2022.

    Taipower stated that geothermal energy is less affected by weather factors and is a stable and low-carbon base load renewable energy. In order to fully utilize green energy, members of 'National Geothermal Energy Team' including State-owned Enterprise Commission, Bureau of Energy, Forestry Bureau, Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), CPC and Taipower, etc. discussed and conducted surveys together and had reached a consensus at the end of 2017 that Taipower and CPC shall jointly provide the finance for the exploration project and a 'Memorandum of understanding' (MOU) was officially signed today (20180328) by Taipower Chairman Yang Wei-fu and CPC Chairman Dai Qian in Taipower Building, through which 'Oil' and 'Electricity' shall collaborate on the geothermal energy exploration project at Renze and Tuchang in Yilang.