Taiwan Court Nullifies EIA Approval for Taichung Power Plant Expansion

The Taipei High Administrative Court has nullified the environmental impact assessment (EIA) conclusion that permitted the second-phase gas-fired generator at Taichung Power Plant to move forward without a second-stage review. The decision overturns an October 30 2024 approval that deemed a further review unnecessary, prompting residents of Changhua and Nantou counties and environmental groups to sue the Ministry of Environment.

Plaintiffs, represented by the Environmental Rights Foundation and the Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association, argued the 5,500 MW addition was fast-tracked and should be limited to 2,600 MW, with a second-stage assessment and a sunset clause after 2050. The court found the original review used improper pollutant standards and failed to evaluate the combined impact of existing coal units and new gas capacity. The Ministry of Economic Affairs said it had not yet received the judgment and may appeal, while Minister Kung Ming-hsin defended the project as part of a coal-to-gas transition. Taipower says the expansion will enable the decommissioning of two of the plant’s six coal units and supports the goal of a coal-free plant.