TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) did not mention in a recent Japanese media interview the government was considering nuclear reactors in 2030, the government clarified Thursday (Aug. 1).
In an interview with Nikkei Asia published on July 25, the premier broached a wide range of topics, including investment projects, AI, and energy. While the report seemed to indicate Cho was considering the revival of nuclear energy in 2030, he never mentioned such a possibility, Cabinet Spokesperson Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) said Thursday.
Taiwan is still planning to become a nuclear-free homeland next May, when the second reactor at the No. 3 Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County is scheduled to go out of service. The plant’s first reactor was decommissioned last week.
In the interview, Cho emphasized the issues of nuclear safety and the handling of nuclear waste, per Radio Taiwan International. Replying to a question from the interviewer about the possibility of research into new nuclear technology, Cho said the life of the No. 3 plant could not be extended.
A revival of the power plant would require legal amendments, and between 3.5 and five years of safety tests, the premier said. Even if the tests were successful, equipment would need to be replaced and new earthquake safety tests conducted, and it is not certain whether those could be completed, according to Cho.
He insisted there was no way the Pingtung plant could produce any power during the period up to 2029 or 2030. After 2030, the government will focus on natural gas, while global trends and a consensus in Taiwan would decide how to move forward.
