By Lin Ching-hua and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerBoring at CPC Corp, Taiwan’s （CPC, 台灣中油） second deep-geothermal exploration well in Yilan County has reached 3,361m and recorded temperatures of 200°C, raising hopes that the site in Dongshan Township （冬山） could host Taiwan’s first deep-geothermal power plant.請繼續往下閱讀...The company plans to drill two additional horizontal appraisal wells to determine the size of the heat reservoir and whether it can support commercial power generation, with work expected to be completed in 2028.The development is part of the second phase of the government’s energy transition policy, with geothermal power offering a stable source of electricity that is less affected by weather conditions than solar and wind power.CPC began exploring deep geothermal resources in 2024 in cooperation with Academia Sinica, drilling a well near Yilan’s Yuanshan Township （圓山）.The Yuanshan bore reached 4,028m, but temperatures were insufficient to support a commercial-scale geothermal power plant, so it was converted into an observation well, CPC said.The firm turned its attention to Dongshan, where it began drilling its first well in October last year, completing it on April 21, CPC spokeswoman Lin Ke-ju （林珂如） said yesterday.The Dongshan bore, which was drilled vertically, reached 3,361m and recorded temperatures of 200°C, making it a potential target for geothermal power generation, Lin said.CPC plans to drill two horizontal appraisal wells to expand the area of underground exploration, and conduct water injection and pumping tests to assess the heat reservoir and its ability to support commercial power generation.However, the wells could extend beneath land owned by other parties, potentially infringing on their property rights.CPC has asked the government to establish a legal mechanism to address the issue.Energy Administration Director-General Wu Chih-wei （吳志偉） said that the agency is seeking to amend the Renewable Energy Development Act （再生能源發展條例） to address potential disputes over the drilling of appraisal wells.The proposed amendment would say that landowners would not be able to refuse requests to drill geothermal wells deeper than 300m, Wu said.The amendment has been approved by the Executive Yuan and sent to the Legislative Yuan for review.CPC said the next stage would involve procuring drilling and related engineering services, with the procurement process expected to be completed by the end of this year.If the site is found to be commercially viable, CPC would drill eight additional production wells over an estimated two-and-a-half to three years, with the work potentially completed by the end of 2031.The firm could then begin work on establishing a deep-geothermal power plant.新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
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