Mingtan Dam Power Plant Introduction
Electricity Industry - From White Coal to Gold Sun Moon Lake is the hydroelectric power center of Taiwan. For nearly eighty years, Taiwan Power Company has built the Daguan, Jugang, Minghu, Mingtan, and Shuili power plants along the shores of Sun Moon Lake and Shuili River, as well as the Minghu and Mingtan reservoirs for pumped hydroelectric power generation. The density of power plants and reservoirs in the vicinity of Checheng is rare in the world. Visitors can tour these facilities to experience "water turning into electricity" and learn how to cherish resources, ultimately gaining a broader perspective for sustainable utilization and appreciation of nature's resources. Sun Moon Lake is strategically located in the geographic center of Taiwan, boasting beautiful scenery and renowned both locally and abroad. With conventional and pumped hydroelectric resources, Sun Moon Lake has become a hub for hydroelectric power generation in Taiwan, with a total installed capacity of 2,768.3 megawatts, accounting for 62% of Taiwan's hydroelectric generation. It is hailed as the best representation of "white coal turning into gold". Today, as energy conservation and carbon reduction alongside renewable energy are promoted, Sun Moon Lake stands as an ideal destination for intellectual tourism. Mingtan Jugang Substation (Sun Moon Lake Second Power Plant, Jugang Power Plant) utilizes water released from the Sun Moon Lake First Power Plant through a 4,409-meter-long water diversion tunnel that combines with water from the Tungkui Creek, directing it into the Tungkui Adjustment Reservoir for storage. With a potential of 123.6 meters, it generates 43.5 megawatts of electricity. This project began construction in December 1935 and was completed in 1937. Originally named Sun Moon Lake Second Power Plant, it was renamed Jugang Power Plant by Soong Mei-ling in January 1963. In March 1999, it merged with Mingtan Power Plant and is now referred to as Mingtan Jugang Substation. Mingtan Power Plant (Mingtan Pumped Storage Power Plant) is the second pumped storage power project in Taiwan and the largest hydroelectric power project in the history of Taiwan. Using Sun Moon Lake as the upper reservoir and Mingtan Reservoir as the lower reservoir, construction began in September 1987, and the six generating units began operation between 1993 and 1994, leveraging a drop of 380 meters to generate electricity. It powers six generating units with a total installed capacity of 1,602 megawatts, making it one of the few large-scale pumped storage hydroelectric power plants in the world.
