Taiwan opens solar power system in Spratlys

Taiwan's government opened Tuesday a new solar power system on Taiping Island in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) to cement its "sovereignty" over the area.

 

A report from Taiwan's Central News Agency said the new 120-kilowatt solar power system aims to turn the Spratly island into a "low-carbon island."

 

Chang Te-hao, director of the Coast Guard Administration's (CGA's) South Coast Guard Bureau, said the power system is expected to generate some 175,920 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year while saving fuel costs of up to NT$735,346 (US$24,266).

 

He added the solar power system will replace 16.8 percent of the electricity currently produced by diesel generators.

 

Presently, Taiping Island relies mainly on diesel generators for electricity, even as fuel costs and carriage are expensive, the report said.

 

The CNA report said Taiping Island is the biggest island in the Spratlys, and is manned by more than 100 Coast Guard troops from Taiwan.

 

The CNA report said the power system is built near the island's cultural park next to an airstrip.

 

CGA officials said Taiwan's Bureau of Energy under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has invested NT$21.99 million in the solar power system project.

 

Earlier, the CGA built a solar power system on Taiping in 2001. It had a capacity of 20.3 kWp, enough to power four households on Taiwan proper. The facility has been removed.

 

Low-carbon island

 

The CNA report said President Ma Ying-jeou had promoted building Taiping into a "low-carbon island" during a South China Sea policy meeting in November 2010.

 

Aside from Taiwan, there are five other claimants to the Spratlys: China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines. — TJD, GMA News