TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipower Vice President Hsu Yung-hui (許永輝) announced on Thursday that status reports for Taiwan’s nuclear power plants are being submitted to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, a key step toward the potential reopening of any facilities.
Hsu explained that once the Ministry of Economic Affairs approves the status reports, Taipower would proceed with safety evaluations and assessments regarding plant reopening, per CNA. He added that after Taipower completes its internal safety evaluation, the company would invite foreign experts to conduct independent assessments for further verification.
Chen Min-jen (陳明真), chair of the Nuclear Safety Commission, noted that Taiwan's nuclear plants have all entered the decommissioning stage. He noted that some plants, like the Chinshan Nuclear Power Plant, have already removed equipment unrelated to nuclear fuel safety as part of the process.
Taipower insiders revealed that internal evaluations for the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant would take approximately 1.5 years, per China Times. The cost of preparing the plant for operation would also be calculated during this phase.
However, the insiders emphasized that Taipower would not submit a request for reopening unless there is a public consensus on the reopening costs. They noted that it would take an additional two years before the plant could resume operations.
Former Taipower nuclear safety official Wang Lang-chen (王琅琛) pointed out that the Chinshan Nuclear Power Plant was on the brink of receiving a license extension before the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster halted those plans, per CNA. Wang argued that since all of Taiwan's nuclear plants are built to American safety standards, Taiwan could follow the US model for reopening its plants.
Former Fuel Cycle and Materials Administration Chief Huang Ching-tsun (黃慶村) urged the government to halt the decommissioning of Taiwan’s nuclear plants to preserve technical expertise, per UP Media. He argued that maintaining Taiwan's existing nuclear facilities would allow the country to better adopt newer, more advanced nuclear technologies in the future.
DPP Legislator Kuo Yu-ching (郭昱晴) opposed the reopening of nuclear plants, suggesting that Taiwan should focus more on advancing decommissioning technologies and investing in domestic renewable energy development.
Green Citizens' Action Alliance Secretary-General Tsui Shu-hsin (崔愫欣) emphasized that safety should be the central focus of any discussion regarding nuclear energy.
Chen also addressed the status of dry storage facilities at Taiwan’s nuclear power plants, per Liberty Times. While the outdoor dry storage facility at the Kuosheng Nuclear Power Plant is still under construction, the indoor dry storage for all three decommissioned nuclear plants is currently undergoing a tendering process.
