Mingtan Power Plant Introduction
The Industrialization of Electricity - From White Coal to Golden Resources Sun Moon Lake is a powerhouse of hydropower generation in Taiwan. For nearly eighty years, Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) has successively built major power plants such as Daguan, Jugong, Minghu, Mingtan, and Shuili along the shores of Sun Moon Lake and the Shuili River, as well as the Minghu and Mingtan reservoirs for pumped-storage hydropower generation. The high density of power plants and reservoirs near Checheng is rare in the world. Visitors to the various power plants and reservoirs can experience the transformation from "water power to electric power" and learn to cherish resources, fostering a macro perspective on sustainable use and appreciation of nature’s resources. Sun Moon Lake Truly Generates Power Located at the geographical center of Taiwan, Sun Moon Lake boasts a highly advantageous geographical position with beautiful scenery and fame far and wide. It has both conventional and pumped-storage hydropower resources, making it a major hub for hydropower in Taiwan, with a total installed capacity of 2,768.3 megawatts, accounting for 62% of Taiwan's hydropower. It is hailed as the best example of "turning white coal into gold." In today's advocacy for energy conservation, carbon reduction, and renewable energy, Sun Moon Lake is an ideal destination for intellectual tourism. Mingtan Jugong Branch (Sun Moon Lake Second Power Plant, Jugong Power Plant) utilizes water released from the Sun Moon Lake First Power Plant, passing through a 4,409-meter-long water conveyance tunnel, merging with the water from the Tonggui River, and introducing it into the Tonggui adjustment pool for storage. With a potential energy of 123.6 meters, it generates 43.5 kilowatts of electricity. This project commenced in December 1935 and was completed in 1937. Originally named the Sun Moon Lake Second Power Plant, it was renamed Jugong Power Plant in January 1963 by Soong Mei-ling. In March 1999, it merged with the Mingtan Power Plant and is now referred to as the Mingtan Jugong Branch. The Mingtan Power Plant (Mingtan Pumped Storage Power Plant) is the second pumped-storage power station in Taiwan and the largest hydropower engineering project in Taiwan's history. It uses Sun Moon Lake as the upper reservoir and Mingtan Reservoir as the lower reservoir. Construction began in September 1987, and the six units were successively commissioned between 1993 and 1994, utilizing a drop of 380 meters to generate power, driving six generating units with a total installed capacity of 1,602 megawatts, making it one of the few massive pumped-storage hydropower plants in the world.
