(Bloomberg) — Taiwan has stopped approving knowledge facilities which can be larger than 5 MW north of Taoyuan, as there’s an inadequate energy provide within the area.
Whereas the island as a complete doesn’t have an electrical energy scarcity, there’s a bottleneck within the north, which is reliant on different areas for provide and desires extra grid infrastructure and new sources of electrical energy to fulfill rising demand, the Ministry of Financial Affairs mentioned in a Fb submit. There have been no approvals of huge knowledge facilities within the north since September final yr, native media reported, citing the chairman of Taiwan Energy Firm.
Taiwan final month controversially shut considered one of two remaining nuclear reactors because it seeks to free itself of the expertise by 2025, and the northern area’s atomic energy stations have already closed.
The transfer – pushed by considerations following the 2011 Fukushima meltdown in Japan – has made power safety a key problem on the island, which additionally homes energy-guzzling chipmakers similar to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Firm, which provides Apple and Nvidia Company.
Different grids within the area have voiced related considerations about supplying heavy electrical energy customers. Singapore imposed a ban on new knowledge facilities in 2019 due to scarcity considerations however lifted it in 2022.
Taiwan ought to “prioritize constructing knowledge facilities with an influence consumption of greater than 5 megawatts within the central and southern area the place there’s enough renewable power and enormous sources of power,” Taipower mentioned. That can permit industries to “cut back carbon emissions and improve worldwide competitiveness whereas matching the load with the facility provide aspect,” the utility mentioned.
