The newly constructed gas-fired unit at Taipower’s Hsinta Power Plant in Kaohsiung caught fire around 8 p.m. on the night of the 9th, with preliminary assessment indicating a possible natural gas leak; the fire was extinguished by the fire department at 8:44 p.m. Fortunately, there were no casualties and the storage tanks were not affected. The Environmental Protection Bureau of Kaohsiung City Government has requested Hsinta Power Plant to suspend trial operations for both newly built gas-fired units, which may only resume after inspections are complete and the cause of the accident is clarified.
Taipower stated that the ignition point was a natural gas pipeline in the second section of the Hsinta Power Plant, where the unit was undergoing commissioning tests.
Upon receiving the report, the Kaohsiung City Fire Department immediately dispatched 25 fire trucks and 63 firefighters to the scene, deploying chemical vehicles, reservoir trucks, drones, and firefighting robots to swiftly control and extinguish the fire.
Regarding this incident, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai and Deputy Mayor Lin Chin-jung rushed to the site to investigate. Lin Chin-jung stated that the city government will comply with labor inspection regulations and work with Taipower’s construction team for a detailed investigation. The incident currently has no impact on the power supply. On-site air quality monitoring by the Environmental Protection Bureau’s air pollution team showed no significant abnormalities in air quality.
However, some local neighborhood chiefs expressed concern over the incident.
Yantian neighborhood chief Ke Nanlie pointed out that in the afternoon of the 9th, he heard construction workers mention an ammonia leak, and the nighttime explosion sound made residents uneasy. Xingang neighborhood chief He Yingcheng noted that such accidents pose a threat to local residents and called for a full suspension of work and a thorough investigation to safeguard residents’ rights.
Huang Qixiang, director of Taipower’s Southern Construction Division, clarified that there was no leak in the afternoon of the 9th and that the unit started testing around 6 p.m. that evening.
Taipower apologized deeply for the fire, stating that it will thoroughly investigate the cause and review improvements.
Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin instructed Taipower Chairman Tseng Wen-sheng to rush to the scene, clarify the cause of the accident, and ensure the safety of the power plant.
Hsinta Power Plant stated that the incident occurred during the trial operation phase of the new unit and does not affect the operation and power supply of existing units in the plant. The Environmental Protection Bureau has required Hsinta Power Plant not to resume trial operation without completing inspection and improvements.