Restart of two Taiwanese plants feasible, ministry says

Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) conducted the current status assessment of the Chinshan, Kuosheng and Maanshan nuclear power plants in accordance with the newly revised Nuclear Regulation Act and its regulations, conducting an inventory and analysis of seven major aspects, including unit equipment, manpower allocation, dry fuel storage, service life extension of similar units, geological seismic resistance, current status of safety inspections and preparations, and power supply efficiency.

The assessment determined that the two-unit Chinshan plant - Taiwan's oldest plant - is not feasible for reoperation. The two 604 MWe boiling water reactors (BWRs) were shut down in December 2018 and July 2019, respectively, following the expiration of their operating licences after 40 years of operation.

"Most of the important power generation equipment has been dismantled, and many instrumentation components need to be replaced and upgraded," the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said. "Furthermore, these units are of the same type as those involved in the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, and similar units in Japan have also been decommissioned. Therefore, the Chinshan plant is not feasible for restarting."

However, the assessment concluded that it was feasible to restart both the Kuosheng and Maanshan plants. The Kuosheng plant comprises two 985 MWe BWRs that shut down in July 2021 and March 2023, respectively, while Maanshan's two 936 MWe pressurised water reactors were taken offline in July 2024 and in May this year, respectively.

The ministry said "independent safety inspections and reoperation plans will be initiated simultaneously". These inspections will include aging and seismic resistance assessments. The reoperation plans for both plants are expected to be submitted to the Nuclear Safety Council in March next year. It noted the independent safety inspection for the Maanshan plant requires peer review and assistance from the original plant supplier, and is expected to take about 1.5-2 years. The process will be longer than for the Kuosheng plant because the used fuel in the reactors of the plant still needs to be removed.

"The safety and support systems at the Kuosheng plant are still undergoing regular overhauls and maintenance as during operation," MOEA noted. "However, the power generation system has been shut down for over two years, requiring a long-term overhaul and implementation of a recovery control plan. Its functionality needs to be reconfirmed, but it is initially assessed that it is still capable of restarting.

"The equipment at the Maanshan plant has not yet been dismantled and is undergoing regular overhauls and maintenance according to the standards during operation. The reactor has been emptied, and there is still space in the fuel pool. It is also initially assessed that it is capable of restarting."

MOEA said Taipower has initiated its own safety inspection to assess the lifespan of various facilities and equipment at the nuclear power plants and to determine necessary modernisation. The Maanshan plant is expected to complete this within 1.5 to 2 years. However, the Kuosheng plant's inspection process will be longer than that of Maanshan due to the nearly 10-year delay in its dry storage facilities. Used nuclear fuel in the reactors can only be removed after the on-site dry storage facilities are operational, and the reactor core must be emptied before reactor-related safety inspections can be conducted.

The ministry stated that the restart procedure for nuclear power plants must adhere to "two musts", and regarding nuclear energy issues, "three principles" must be met. "Taipower will be required to conduct related work with the utmost rigour to ensure nuclear safety meets international standards," it said. "Subsequent reviews by international professional technical institutions and peers will be required, and the process will proceed according to the Nuclear Safety Council's review results. Further social consensus is also necessary."

Taiwan's nuclear energy policy

Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was elected to government in January 2016 with a policy of creating a "nuclear-free" Taiwan by 2025. Under this policy, Taiwan's six operable power reactors would be decommissioned as their 40-year operating licences expire. Shortly after taking office, the DPP government passed an amendment to the Electricity Act, passing its phase-out policy into law. The government aims for an energy mix of 20% from renewable sources, 50% from liquefied natural gas and 30% from coal.

However, in a referendum held in November 2018, voters chose to abolish that amendment. The Ministry of Economic Affairs said the amendment was officially removed from the Electricity Industry Act on 2 December.

Nevertheless, then Minister of Economic Affairs Shen Jong-chin said in January 2019 "there would be no extension or restarts of nuclear power plants in Taiwan due to subjective and objective conditions, as well as strong public objection".

But in May this year, Taiwan's Legislative Yuan passed an amendment to the Nuclear Reactor Facilities Regulation Act that allows nuclear power plant operators to apply for a 20-year licence renewal beyond the existing 40-year limit, potentially extending a plant's operating lifespan to 60 years.