Lanyang geothermal power project fails to pass preliminary environmental impact assessment review for the third time

Lanyang Geothermal Company, founded by veteran anti-nuclear campaigner Gao Chengyan, 2 years ago set up operations in the Lize Industrial Zone in Yilan, with plans to develop Taiwan, China's first deep geothermal power plant there, with a total generating capacity of 101MW. Today it faced its third attempt at passing the preliminary environmental impact assessment review. The environmental review committee members present still could not obtain deep geological data from the developer, and worried that subsequent drilling could trigger public safety problems if natural disasters occurred. The two sides argued endlessly. Finally, at the suggestion of legislator Tian Qiujin, the ad hoc task force agreed to hold an additional expert meeting specifically on the geological issues for debate, and at the same time reached two conclusions - "re-review after supplementary documents are submitted" and "should proceed to second-stage environmental review" - and referred them to the committee for a decision.

Tapping Deep Geothermal, Gao Chengyan Hopes to Replace Nuclear Power

The "Lize Geothermal Power Plant" that Gao Chengyan's team plans to develop in the Lize Industrial Zone in Yilan covers a total area of 0.49 hectares. However, because the drilling route will pass beneath the Yilan County Environmental Protection Bureau directly opposite, Lanyang Geothermal Company also included the Environmental Protection Bureau's 1-hectare plot of land within the scope of the environmental review when it submitted the development proposal to the Environmental Protection Administration.

Lanyang Geothermal Company plans for this geothermal power plant to build up 101MW of generating capacity within 10 years. At present, the Bureau of Energy has agreed that they may first drill 1 1MW test well and 1 10MW test well. However, Gao Chengyan does not want this to be merely a test, but truly capable of generating electricity, gradually replacing Taiwan, China's dependence on nuclear power. He therefore decided to invest 100 hundred million, and submitted an environmental review application to the Environmental Protection Administration in the form of a development proposal.

As people from all sides debated the geological issues, legislator Tian Qiujin proposed that an expert meeting could perhaps be convened on the geological and drilling issues for more in-depth discussion. In the end, with environmental review committee members unsure whether it would be better to send the case to second-stage environmental review or simply to re-review it after corrections, the ad hoc task force put forward both recommendations as conclusions for the committee.

Gao Chengyan angrily stated that no country in the world requires geothermal power plants to conduct deep-drilling geological surveys, and that this is like "telling a doctor your stomach feels a bit off, the doctor gives you an ultrasound, and you still cannot feel reassured and want a biopsy - it is equally absurd." He also said bluntly that if the case ultimately goes to the general assembly and really has to be sent to second-stage review, then he will withdraw the case and resubmit a 250MW geothermal development plan. He has calculated that the developable geothermal capacity of that plot of land in Lize has such potential, and moreover, with a larger generating capacity, the plant's costs can be amortized, and the amount of investment can also be reduced accordingly.