TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Kuomintang presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) said on Wednesday (Aug. 8) that Taiwan will not phase out nuclear power if he is elected president.
Hou's said his plans for the nuclear plants will form part of Taiwan's transition to renewable energy, per CNA. Hou said that if elected he will restart the country’s two decommissioned nuclear power plants, extend the life of the single remaining operational plant, and review the decision to discontinue construction of a fourth plant.
Hou said nuclear energy is key to reducing carbon emissions and air pollution. He said his goal is to reduce the amount of power produced by burning fossil fuels to 14% by 2030, and to zero by 2040.
Nuclear energy accounted for 6.9% of Taiwan's power consumption for the first six months of 2023, compared to the 83.4% that was produced by burning fossil fuels. The percentage of energy provided by renewables for the same period was 8.6%.
Beachgoers swim next to the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant. (Wikimedia Commons, M. Weitzel image)
Of Taiwan’s four nuclear power facilities, only the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung (known colloquially as “the 1st plant”) remains operational, though it is set to go completely offline by 2025. The Chinshan plant ("the 2nd plant") and the Kuosheng plant ("the 3rd plant") are currently both being decommissioned.
Hou said that if elected he would restart the two decommissioned plants, and resume maintenance and safety inspections of all of the first three plants. He also said he would extend the lifespan of those plants.
The fourth nuclear power plant is also in New Taipei City and has been under construction for more than 20 years. Construction was permanently halted in 2021 after a referendum mandated it, seemingly putting an end to years of uncertainty surrounding the project.
The 2021 referendum asked voters directly if they wanted to restart the fourth plant, resulting in about 4 million “no” votes versus about 3.8 million “yes” votes – a narrow defeat with a low voter turnout of only about 40%. The decision was welcomed by the DPP and President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who said the result was a win for international participation, energy transformation, and the environment.
The Kuosheng Nuclear Power Plant in Wanli, New Taipei. (Wikimedia Commons, Toach Japan photo)
Hou did not expressly commit to restarting construction of the plant, but said that he would establish a nuclear safety committee to review the plant and assess whether or not continuing its construction would be feasible. He said that with this committee, it may be possible to restart construction in 2040.
The presidential candidate said that ensuring energy security and a stable supply are primary considerations for national security. Taiwan’s reliance on imported energy has been described as a fundamental threat to its economy and security, given the high energy consumption of key industries such as semiconductor production.
Most public opinion polls place Hou last in the presidential race, behind the Taiwan People’s Party's Ko Wen-je (柯文哲）in second and the DPP’s Lai Ching-te (賴清德）who is leading the race. If Lai is elected President of Taiwan and does not change his own party's existing policy, all nuclear power will be phased out in Taiwan by 2025.
Ko and members of his party have said in recent months that they do not agree with phasing out nuclear power, and Ko said that the second and third nuclear power plants should be restarted to meet the energy demand of Taiwan's technological industries. Ko has not yet declared a policy for the fourth plant.
