TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Economic Affairs Minister Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) moved swiftly Thursday (Sept. 11) to reassure the public that an explosion at the Hsinta Power Plant (興達電廠) in southern Kaohsiung (高雄) would not disrupt the island's electricity supply. The minister emphasized that no power rationing measures would be necessary following the Wednesday (Sept. 10) incident at the critical energy facility, addressing concerns about potential blackouts across Taiwan's industrial and residential sectors.
Kung revealed that Taiwan Power Company (Taipower, 台電公司), the state-owned utility, and the Ministry of Economic Affairs had immediately activated backup generation units to ensure stable electricity delivery across the island. Taipower had issued a press release confirming that power rationing would be unnecessary, as the company would maintain a night peak reserve margin exceeding 6 percent despite the facility damage. The coordinated response demonstrated Taiwan's energy infrastructure resilience in managing unexpected power generation disruptions.
Kung provided additional reassurance by explaining that daytime reserve margins could reach 15 to 17 percent when solar power generation becomes available across Taiwan's renewable energy network. Preliminary inspections of Hsinta's Unit 1 revealed no significant impact from the explosion, with comprehensive reviews expected to conclude within one week. Unit 2 sustained some effects from the incident, prompting the Ministry of Economic Affairs to accelerate its detailed inspection process to assess potential long-term operational impacts. ◼