TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Economics Minister Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) told lawmakers Monday that an independent safety review has begun for the decommissioned Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant, but stressed that the full process required to restart the reactor could take two to six years.
Kung sought to dismiss public concerns that the plant could be quickly reactivated after the completion of the first review phase, which involves submitting a safety review plan. Reports suggesting a 2027 restart have already circulated in local media, per CNA.
In May, the legislature amended the Nuclear Reactor Facilities Regulation Act to allow reactor lifespans to be extended up to 20 years beyond the original 40-year limit. The amendment opened the door for potential restarts at both the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant and Kuosheng Nuclear Power Plant.
KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) questioned the timeline, asking whether the two plants could indeed resume operations by 2027. Lai said that if the plants complete their independent safety inspections by mid-2027, and if the Nuclear Safety Council then spends 18 months on its review, key decisions on nuclear power could be made by the end of 2028.
Kung said this would be a “best-case scenario.” He noted that while international nuclear safety reviews typically take about 1.5 years, some can last as long as six.
“The more thorough and comprehensive our independent safety inspections are, the easier the Nuclear Safety Commission’s inspection will be,” he said. “If our inspections are not thorough enough, we may be required to make improvements, so safety considerations are the top priority.”
Taipower Chair Tseng Wen-sheng (曾文生) said that although the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant has been shut down, maintenance work related to safety remains essential. “Safety is always the most fundamental prerequisite for the operation of a nuclear power plant,” he said.
DPP Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸) asked whether the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant was considered the most likely to resume operation because it was the most recently decommissioned. Tseng said the assessment is based on technical differences rather than timing.
The Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant still has sufficient space in its spent fuel pools, and its reactor core no longer contains fuel rods. By contrast, Kuosheng Nuclear Power Plant still has fuel rods in the core, which places more restrictions on operations.
As a result, safety inspections at the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant’s nuclear island can begin earlier.
Kung also said the Environmental Impact Assessment Act does not require new environmental or policy assessments for restarts, meaning no new environmental impact assessment is necessary.
He added that Taiwan’s energy transition goals, including reducing coal use and expanding natural gas and renewable energy, will continue and will not be halted or crowded out by nuclear restart reviews.
