Taipower shuts at least four gas-, coal-fired power generation units due to earthquake: sources

Taiwan's largest power utility Taipower has temporarily shut at least four power generation units with a capacity of around 2,400 MW for damage assessment and repairs, after the region was hit by an earthquake on the morning of April 3, according to sources with direct knowledge of the situation.

The four power generation units include two gas-fired power units and two coal-fired power units, each with a power generation capacity of around 600 MW, the sources said.

"We are currently checking and repairing the affected power generation units, and we are not sure when they can be brought back online," one of the sources added.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 hit northeast Taiwan, with its epicenter around Hualien County, according to local media citing the Central Weather Administration. Taipower operates the Hoping coal-fired power station in Hualien County with a capacity of 1,320 MW.

The four affected power generation units account for around 5% of Taipower's total generation capacity of around 40,000 MW, the source said.

"Other power generation units are currently operating normally," the source added.

Meanwhile, there were no reports of LNG receiving terminals or natural gas pipelines being impacted as of April 3 morning, according to multiple market participants. Taiwan's state-owned oil and gas company CPC currently operates two LNG regasification terminals -- the Yongan LNG terminal near the southern port city of Kaohsiung and the Taichung LNG terminal on the western coast.

CPC was not immediately available for a comment when reached out by S&P Global Commodity Insights.

However, power supply has been disrupted in parts of eastern Taiwan. The state-owned media Central News Agency reported, citing Taipower, that several electrical substations across Taiwan short-circuited when the earthquake struck, impacting power supply, but the system was being stabilized.

More than 300,000 households were without power at one point, but power supply was restored for over 70% of them by 9:30 am, with 87,132 households still without power, it said.

Taiwan's Nuclear Safety Commission issued statements saying all nuclear power plants were operating normally, nuclear raw material storage sites were not affected and the commission was monitoring the safety of the facilities. Its sole operational nuclear power plant is located in the south.

In neighboring Japan, there were some early warnings in Okinawa, but according to its power outage tracking system, the Hatsuden Joho Kokai System, there were no power cuts or power plant shutdowns due to the earthquake.