Mailiao power station
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Mailiao power station (台塑麥寮發電廠) is an operating power station of at least 3000-megawatts (MW) in Mailiao, Yunlin, Taiwan with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating. It is also known as 台塑石化股份有限公司公用二廠.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Mailiao power station | Mailiao, Yunlin, Taiwan | 23.803419, 120.189024 (exact)[1][2][3] |
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- CC 1, CC 2, Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5, Unit 6, Unit 7: 23.803419, 120.189024
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | CHP | Start year | Retired year | Equipment | Emergency/Backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CC 1 | Construction[1][4] | fossil gas: LNG[5][6] | 1200[7][8] | combined cycle[7][5] | not found | 2029 (planned)[9] | – | not found | no |
| CC 2 | Construction[4] | fossil gas: LNG[5][10][6] | 1200[7][8] | combined cycle[7][10] | not found | 2029 (planned)[9] | – | not found | no |
| Unit 1 | Operating[11] | coal: bituminous[12] | 600 | supercritical | – | 1999 | 2025 (planned)[13][11] | – | no |
| Unit 2 | Retired | coal: bituminous[12] | 600 | supercritical | – | 1999 | 2025[13] | – | no |
| Unit 3 | Operating[11] | coal: bituminous[12] | 600 | supercritical | – | 1999[14] | 2025 (planned)[13][11] | – | no |
| Unit 4 | Retired | coal: bituminous[12] | 600 | supercritical | – | 2002 | 2022 | – | no |
| Unit 5 | Operating | coal: bituminous[12] | 600 | supercritical | – | 2002 | – | – | no |
| Unit 6 | Operating | coal: bituminous[12] | 600 | supercritical | – | 2000 | – | – | no |
| Unit 7 | Operating | coal: bituminous[12] | 600 | supercritical | – | 2002 | – | – | no |
CHP is an abbreviation for Combined Heat and Power. It is a technology that produces electricity and thermal energy at high efficiencies. Coal units track this information in the Captive Use section when known.
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| CC 1 | Mai-Liao Power Corp [100%][10][2] | Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corp [24.9%]; Formosa Petrochemical Corp [24.9%]; Formosa Plastics Corp [24.9%]; Nan Ya Plastics Corp [24.9%] |
| CC 2 | Mai-Liao Power Corp [100%][10][2] | Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corp [24.9%]; Formosa Petrochemical Corp [24.9%]; Formosa Plastics Corp [24.9%]; Nan Ya Plastics Corp [24.9%] |
| Unit 1 | Mai-Liao Power Corp [100%][10][2] | Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corp [24.9%]; Formosa Petrochemical Corp [24.9%]; Formosa Plastics Corp [24.9%]; Nan Ya Plastics Corp [24.9%] |
| Unit 2 | Mai-Liao Power Corp [100%][10][2] | Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corp [24.9%]; Formosa Petrochemical Corp [24.9%]; Formosa Plastics Corp [24.9%]; Nan Ya Plastics Corp [24.9%] |
| Unit 3 | Mai-Liao Power Corp [100%][10][2] | Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corp [24.9%]; Formosa Petrochemical Corp [24.9%]; Formosa Plastics Corp [24.9%]; Nan Ya Plastics Corp [24.9%] |
| Unit 4 | Mai-Liao Power Corp [100%][10][2] | Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corp [24.9%]; Formosa Petrochemical Corp [24.9%]; Formosa Plastics Corp [24.9%]; Nan Ya Plastics Corp [24.9%] |
| Unit 5 | Formosa Petrochemical Corp [100%][15] | Formosa Petrochemical Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 6 | Formosa Petrochemical Corp [100%][15] | Formosa Petrochemical Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 7 | Formosa Petrochemical Corp [100%][15] | Formosa Petrochemical Corp [100.0%] |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): imported
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
It has included two sets of units from both Mailiao Power Corp (Units 1-4) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (Units 5-7). Unit 5-7 is also known as Formosa Petrochemical Utility Plant No. 2.[16]
Two new natural gas units, each with a capacity of 2,400MW, are expected to be constructed at the plant site in 2025.[17]
Mailiao is a 7 x 600 MW supercritical coal plant in Mailiao,[18] commissioned from 1999 to 2002. The power station is owned by the Mai-Liao Power Corporation (MPC)[19] and Formosa Petrochemical Corporation (FPCC). Coal is imported via an adjacent coal port.[20][21]
In response to a new government policy related to Independent Power Plants (IPP), Formosa Plastics Corp. (FPC), Nan-Ta Plastics Corp.(NPC), Formosa Chemical-Fiber Corp. (FCFC), and Formosa Petrochemical Corp. (FPCC) appear to have co-invested and established a new company, Mai-Liao Power Corporation (MPC) in 1996. MPC initially gained an 1,800 MW capacity contract allowing it to become the biggest IPP in Taiwan with FP1 commissioned in June 1999, FP2 in September 1999, and FP3 in September 2000.[22]
The units at the power station are often referred to as Units 1-5 (1999-2002) and Units A-B (2000, 2002). Five pulverized coal-fired units appear to be owned by MPC and two pulverized coal-fired co-generation units appear to be owned by FPCC.[23]
The power station is or was the world's sixth largest coal-fired power plant and causes serious air pollution. For example, in 2015, the Yunlin county government requested Formosa take responsibility and loadshed to suppress the air pollutants during the high pollution season, usually around October to March.[24] In addition, in 2017, the power station reached a coal-burning quota, putting it in non-compliance with the county’s environmental regulations.[25]
Formosa spent 1.9 billion yuan to install wet electrostatic precipitators and low-nitrogen burners in coal-fired power units, with construction expected to be completed in 2021.[26]
Planned retirement and gas-fueled replacement
In 2016, the legislature’s Economics Committee passed a nonbinding resolution that privately owned coal-fired power plants should be transformed to gas power plants before their electricity supply contracts with Taipower can be renewed. The committee said the coal-fired power plants should suspend operations if they cannot be transformed into gas power plants and that Taipower should not renew the contracts if privately owned utilities fail to do so. This appeared to include the Mailiao station, whose contract with Taipower reportedly expires in 2024.[27]
In June 2017, Formosa Plastics Group signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Yunlin County Government and the Energy Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, investing a total of 57 billion yuan in the construction of natural gas power plants and receiving stations. However, Formosa Plastics was then hoping that coal-fired and gas-fired power plants would run in parallel after 2025, and it had not yet made progress in negotiating with the Bureau of Industry to build natural gas receiving station sites. That year, the power station was facing the expiration of multiple unit licenses and the County government was reluctant to issue new licenses. Formosa Plastics therefore promised to change its petcoke to coal-fired, and signed a memorandum with the county government to convert coal-fired power generation to natural gas power generation in 2025.[26]
According to the 2018 National Electricity Resources Supply & Demand Report ("107年全國電力資源供需報告"), Mailiao No. 1 and No. 2 were to be decommissioned in 2024, and No. 3 in 2025, with the plant fully decommissioned in 2025. (Is was unclear how Mialiao Nos. 1-3 relate to the station's unit 1-7.)[28]
In March 2021, the Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua stated: "If we can build an LNG power plant in Mailiao and replace existing coal-fired plants, that would help greatly in our goal of reducing the use of coal and air pollution. We will be happy to assist [Formosa Plastics Group] in such a project."[29]
As of May 2021, a new natural gas unit appears to be expected to operate by June 2027 at the earliest. Some have raised concerns about potential future electricity shortages given the potential coal units retirements scheduled for 2024 and 2025.[30][31][32]
According to reporting in June 2024, Taipower's original contract with Formosa Plastics for Unit 1 had expired in May 2024, but the contract was extended until 2025.[33][34]
Capacity uncertainty
Available sources provide conflicting information about Mailiao Power Corp's current capacity. The project was designed for four large-scale thermal power generating units[35], and three units entered service in 1999 and 2000. Planet satellite imagery confirms four units existed through 2022[36]. However, Unit 4 appears to have been subsequently demolished, as recent news coverage mentions only three units slated for retirement at Mailiao Power Corp.
Unit 2 was retired in late 2025. [37]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://money.udn.com/money/story/5635/9214057.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 https://web.archive.org/web/20230802003906/https://www.eventsinfocus.org/issues/2879. Archived from the original on 2023-08-02.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "麥寮汽電股份有限公司". www.mlmpc.com.tw. Archived from the original on 2024-06-03. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20251219701234-430503.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20220119203228/https://www.pecl.com.tw/en/projects_info.aspx?mid=31&id=40&chk=a6db1be2-61a6-485d-b35b-500777918606. Archived from the original on 2022-01-19.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 "六輕廠區內的燃煤設備有哪些？ 面對「燃煤轉燃氣」的要求，台塑承諾了什麼？沒承諾什麼？". 焦點事件. Archived from the original on 2024-06-03. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "能源轉型荒與慌3／民營電廠轉型 障礙一波波". 經濟日報. 2023-09-26. Archived from the original on 2024-06-03. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
{{cite web}}: Text "產業" ignored (help); Text "能源轉型荒與慌" ignored (help) - ↑ 8.0 8.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20230501192940/https://udn.com/news/story/7238/6839312. Archived from the original on 2023-05-01.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 9.0 9.1 "113年度全國電力資源供需報告". 2025-09-24. Archived from the original on 2025-10-22. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 https://web.archive.org/web/20220427154641/https://news.pts.org.tw/article/559759. Archived from the original on 2022-04-27.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 https://tw.stock.yahoo.com/news/%E4%B8%AD%E6%9D%B1%E6%88%B0%E7%88%AD%E6%B2%92%E5%81%9C%E5%86%8D%E5%8A%A0%E9%96%8B%E7%87%83%E7%85%A4%E6%A9%9F%E7%B5%84-%E5%8F%B0%E9%9B%BB-%E6%AF%94%E7%85%A7%E5%85%A8%E7%90%83%E8%A9%B2%E8%AA%BF%E5%B0%B1%E8%AA%BF-025429360.html.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 https://www.gem.wiki/Coal_source_methodology_for_the_Global_Coal_Plant_Tracker.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 https://newstaiwan.net/2025/12/19/391561/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "麥寮電廠3燃煤機組年底除役 天然氣機組2030年才商轉供電". Yahoo Finance. 2025-04-10. Archived from the original on 11 July 2025. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 https://www.fhi.com.tw/official/product.aspx?l1=PB&prgc=PB_3_5_1.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ '首頁/產品介紹/汽電共生'台塑重工
- ↑ '台塑化砸千億 拚煤改氣發電'經濟日報,04/06/2022
- ↑ "Mailiao Coal Power Plant," Industry About, last updated August 16, 2016
- ↑ "History," Mai-Liao Power Corporation, accessed June 22, 2021
- ↑ "Mai-Liao (Mailiao) Coal Power Plant," Global Energy Observatory, February 5, 2010
- ↑ "麥寮發電廠," Wikipedia, accessed August 2017
- ↑ "About Us," Mai-Liao Power Corporation, accessed June 22, 2021
- ↑ "Supercritical Fossil Power Plant," GIBSIN Engineers, Ltd., accessed March 1, 2014
- ↑ "The county government requests Formosa Mailiao power plant to shed generation loading to improve the air quality," Yunlin Country Government, November 13, 2015
- ↑ "Coal-fired power plant to shut down," Taipei Times, October 12, 2017
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 "捨不得燃煤機組停用，天然氣接收站場址難覓 台塑麥寮電廠2025年轉型之路崎嶇," The Storm Media, August 5, 2018
- ↑ "Closure of Formosa generators to affect power supplies: Lee," Taipei Times, October 27, 2016
- ↑ "要工安 反空污 麥寮設第三接收站替代方案不可行 縣府配合中央麥電燃煤屆滿除役," Yunlin, March 19, 2021
- ↑ "Mailiao cannot replace Datan: MOEA," Taipei Times, March 16, 202
- ↑ "5月就缺電？台塑麥寮電廠2025年除役 最快2027年發電," Liberty Times Net, May 18, 2021
- ↑ "台塑籲檢討能源政策 確保供電無虞," Epoch Times, May 24, 2021
- ↑ "2025年，台灣進入限電 「黑燈」時代?" 遠見, May 29, 2021
- ↑ Taiwan Unable to Kick Its Coal Power Habit, CommonWealth Magazine, June 25, 2024
- ↑ 麥寮電廠延役 張啟楷：雲林縣府未持燃煤許可證 為何可簽違法合約？, Yahoo News Taiwan, June 28, 2024
- ↑ "關於六輕" 台塑石化股份有限公司, December 30, 2022
- ↑ [1] Planet, January 20, 2026
- ↑ . 台灣好報. 2025-12-19 https://newstaiwan.net/2025/12/19/391561/. Retrieved 2026-09-24.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help)
Additional data
To access additional data, including interactive maps of the power stations, downloadable datasets, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker and the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
