As Taiwan faces possible electricity shortages this summer and next, the Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) is considering reactivating the No. 1 reactor at the First Nuclear Power Plant—or the Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant—but only if it is safe to do so, Executive Yuan Spokesperson Tung Chen-yuan said today.
Building a nuclear-free homeland by 2025 is a social consensus, and decommissioning nuclear power plants as planned is an established policy. Based on these two premises, the government will ensure nuclear safety and a stable power supply. The existing nuclear power plants will be phased out by 2025, but they will not be decommissioned ahead of schedule, Tung added.
Unusually high temperatures caused by global climate change have driven up power consumption in recent summers, Tung noted. The reactivation of Jinshan's No.1 reactor will hinge on whether it is safe for the reactor to resume operations and whether the legal procedure for such action is complete.
"If it is safe to restart the No. 1 reactor, we hope to complete the required legal procedure as soon as possible and resume its operations only when necessary."
The Executive Yuan understands the public's desire for a nuclear-free homeland, continued the spokesperson, but this ultimate goal should be achieved in a steady manner, especially if there are possibilities of electricity shortages and power rationing.
The Executive Yuan has asked the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Taipower to explain the safety conditions of the Jinshan plant in writing and to respond to concerns from anti-nuclear groups as soon as possible. The Atomic Energy Council was also asked to explain to the public last year's safety review on reactivation of the Jinshan reactor.