On September 9, Taipower broke ground for its first cloud data center in Changhua, Taiwan, expecting the construction to be completed in 2024.

Taipower, a state-owned electric power company, has been striving to develop smart power grids to cope with the establishment of various grid-connected renewable energy systems. The Changhua Cloud Data Center, according to the company, is the key infrastructure of the grid connection project. After being put into use, the data center can store up to 1 million TB of data, an equivalent of Taipower’s smart grid big data analytics over the past 80 years. The center will be built according to international standards of data center construction with an operational reliability of 99.982%.

Taipower indicated that through big data analytics, the center can more accurately forecast the power generated by renewable energy sources, more effectively distribute electric power, and ensure stable power supply. Additionally, the center will incorporate fiber-optic networks to provide e-services for the public, creating a future with smarter, more efficient power transmission.

On the morning of September 9, Taipower held a groundbreaking ceremony for its Changhua Cloud Data Center, which was attended by the deputy minister of the Ministry of Economic Affairs Wen-Shen Tseng, chairman of Taipower Wei-Fuu Yang, mayor of Changhua County Hui-Mei Wang, and speaker of Changhua County Council Tien-Lin Hsieh. During his speech, Tseng said that the construction of the data center signifies the initiation of a new smart grid development stage in Taiwan. The information analysis and smart services provided by the smart grid will form a cornerstone for grid improvements.         

Yang suggested that Taipower intends to improve forecasting accuracy of power generated by renewable energy sources using smart information services provided by the data center, thereby achieving faster power distribution with precise responses. By providing smart meters, Taipower allows users to determine their power consumption patterns. The company will also implement demand response measures, encouraging users to save electricity during peak hours and reduce power consumption.      

The site of the Changhua Cloud Data Center was used to be a stand-by office of Taipower’s emergency repair workers along with several old warehouses. The old buildings aged than 50 years and were torn down for safety concerns. Mayor Wang specified that Taipower’s data center has been the second largest cloud data center in Changhua following Google’s data center (at Changhua Coastal Industrial Park) built in 2013, which is the tech giant’s largest data center across Asia. The establishment of the two data centers can create new jobs and help Changhua strengthen its information technology capacity. Further, Taipower plans to use 100% renewable energy sources in Changhua for its data center, including electricity from solar farms at and offshore wind farms nearby Changhua Coastal Industrial Park.

 (Source of the first image: video screenshot)