Rouse sleeping giants

For the first time in 6,000 years, Taiwan is reactivating a group of volcanoes that have been notorious for its fiery past.

This, so as not to restore its ancient activity, but to optimize use for the natural resource.

New Taipei has thrived in tourism for decades, owing to a small-town lifeline—a famous national park nestled within this sprawling group of 20 peaks.

Before long, residents will start to see fully Datun's economic case when the volcanoes become part of the country's energy mix.

This, as soon as Taiwan's first geothermal powerplant around these parts starts its commercial operation later this month to power up some 1,500 local households.

The launch of Sihuangziping Pilot Geothermal Power Plant in the city's Jinshan District, the first plant in Taiwan powered by volcanic energy, will be a turning point in Taiwan's clean-energy pivot, focused mainly on wind and solar.

Taiwan has been researching and developing its geothermal power, a stable and good base-load energy source, which can operate round the clock.

A high-temperature geothermal reservoir under the Datun cluster accounts for 70 percent of the Taiwan's shallow geothermal-energy resources.

The country eyes at the end of the year the construction of a second geothermal plant powered by the Datun group, which is expected to have a capacity of 4MW, and an annual generation of 27 million kWh.

The geothermal investigation of the Datun Volcanic Group began as far back as 1966, but the research was limited by its primitive technology.

Fabulous Power Co., contracted to develop geothermal energy in the country, has since introduced the latest global technologies, including the use of dry-steam power generating sets and other techniques.