Electricity consumption in Taiwan hit a record high of 41.18 gigawatts (GW) yesterday as scorching hot weather continued across the country, state-run Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) said.
The instantaneous peak load was recorded at 1:52pm, surpassing the previous record of 40.74GW set on July 22, 2022, and is close to Taipower’s estimated peak of 41.19GW for this year.
Taipower attributed the record high power demand to the muggy condition caused by the high humidity before rainfall, which boosted residential use of air-conditioning.
Photo: CNA
Temperatures yesterday in Yunlin County’s Dounan Township (斗南) hit 38.4 degrees Celsius, while temperatures higher than 37 degrees were recorded in other parts of central and southern Taiwan as well as Taipei’s Shezidao (社子島) area.
Meanwhile, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued an “orange” alert for Taipei, New Taipei City and Taichung, as well as some parts of central and southern Taiwan, meaning daytime highs in these areas could reach 36 degrees for three consecutive days.
Yesteday’s maximum power supply capability was 47.33GW, with an operating reserve of 16.86 percent, giving a green light that symbolizes “adequate power supply,” according to Taipower’s official Web site.
Taipower data showed the third-highest power consumption level was 40.66GW set on July 25, 2022, followed by 40.63GW and 40.57GW on June 21 and June 28 this year, respectively.
With more sources of solar power to be connected to the grid, Taipower said it expects operating reserves this month to remain at a healthy level of more than 10 percent during the day and 7 percent at night, within the “yellow” power supply range of 6-10 percent.
A yellow alert light means that the electricity supply is under constraint, the company said.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday obtained the government’s approval to inject an additional US$10.26 billion to finance the construction of its second fab in Kumamoto, Japan, and a second fab in Arizona, using advanced process technologies. The Department of Investment Review approved TSMC’s investment applications on the basis that Taiwan remains a major technology and manufacturing hub for the chipmaker, which makes its most advanced chips at home, the company operates its research-and-development center here and the majority of its capacity remains in Taiwan. The latest capital injections — US$5.26 billion for its Japanese venture Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing
DIVERSIFYING: Following customers’ demand to improve supply chain resilience, ASE is looking for sites in the US, Japan and Mexico, a company executive said ASE Technology Holding Co (ASE, 日月光投控), the world’s biggest chip packaging and testing service provider, yesterday said it plans to launch a new high-end chip testing fab in the US next month to better serve its key customers based in North America, particularly California-based artificial intelligence (AI) customers. The new US testing facility would be operated by the firm’s subsidiary ISE Labs Inc, it said. ASE’s major customers, and high-ranking US officials and representatives from American Institute in Taiwan are to attend the fab’s opening ceremony on July 12, it said. ISE Labs last year acquired a 5,942m2 facility in San
Local companies believe that nearly a third of all job opportunities will vanish in 10 years due to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), according to a survey released by online job bank yes123 on Tuesday. In the survey of 1,016 companies on the labor market’s third quarter outlook, the job bank focused in part on AI’s impact on workers and asked companies what percentage of jobs they felt would be lost to AI’s round-the-clock productivity and high-speed computing prowess. Respondents felt on average that 29.2 percent of job opportunities would be lost to AI over the next 10 years, but there
Taiwanese workers earned an average of NT$47,000 per month this year, but 40 percent are struggling financially and 18 percent plan to switch jobs within 12 months, two separate surveys showed yesterday. The amount equals a 5.4 percent increase from a year earlier to a decade high, 104 Job Bank (104人力銀行) said. The government is due to review the nation’s minimum wages. Employees at computer and consumer electronics manufacturers reported the highest average monthly wage of NT$60,000 a month, followed by semiconductor firms at NT$59,000, and vendors of shoe and textile products, along with software and Internet businesses at NT$55,000, 104 Job