Nuclear power stations in Taiwan

Nuclear power stations in Taiwan
Name	Nuclear power stations in Taiwan
Country	Taiwan
First commissioned	1978
Stations	3 (operable historically)
Status	Mixed (operating, decommissioned, planned/cancelled)
Operator	Taiwan Power Company

Nuclear power stations in Taiwan provide electricity generation infrastructure on the island of Republic of China (Taiwan), shaped by policy choices involving Chiang Kai-shek, Lee Teng-hui, Chen Shui-bian, Ma Ying-jeou, and Tsai Ing-wen. The network connects to grids managed by Taiwan Power Company and is influenced by international suppliers such as General Electric, Westinghouse Electric Company, AREVA, and CEA. Debates over capacity, safety, and waste have involved actors including Democratic Progressive Party, Kuomintang, New Power Party, and civic movements like the Sunflower Student Movement.

Overview

Taiwan's nuclear infrastructure originated during the administrations of Chiang Kai-shek and expanded under Chiang Ching-kuo with technology procured from United States, France, and other suppliers. Plants were constructed at coastal sites near Shimen District, Jinshan District, and Gongliao District to serve load centers such as Taipei, Kaohsiung, Taichung, and Tainan. Energy planning involved institutions like the Atomic Energy Council (Taiwan), Ministry of Economic Affairs (Taiwan), and international regulators including International Atomic Energy Agency and Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD). Siting and seismic design referenced studies from Central Weather Administration (Taiwan), National Taiwan University, and Academia Sinica.

Existing and Decommissioned Stations

Major facilities include plants commonly known by site names: the Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant (also known as Chinshan Nuclear Power Plant), Kuosheng Nuclear Power Plant (also spelled Guosheng), and Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant. The older Chinshan A unit and Chinshan B unit were built with General Electric boiling water reactor (BWR) designs; Kuosheng used Westinghouse pressurized water reactor (PWR) technology; Maanshan employed Westinghouse PWRs as well. Decommissioning activities have involved contractors and research from Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (Taiwan), Electrowatt-Ekono, and firms such as Areva TA. Planned but contentious projects included the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant (Taiwan) at Lungmen Nuclear Power Plant, which faced opposition from groups like Greenpeace and was associated with suppliers Asea Brown Boveri and Babcock & Wilcox. Unit status and outages have been tracked by operators and watchdogs such as Taiwan Power Company and Atomic Energy Council (Taiwan).

Fuel Cycle and Waste Management

Fuel procurement involved international agreements with United States Department of Energy, Areva, and enrichment services in markets influenced by the Non-Proliferation Treaty and organizations such as World Nuclear Association. Spent fuel has been stored onsite in wet and dry casks at sites like Lungmen, with research into geological disposal referencing work by Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB), United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and Taiwanese institutions including National Cheng Kung University and National Tsing Hua University. Interim storage proposals have provoked legal actions involving the Council of Indigenous Peoples (Taiwan) where some sites impinge on territories near Miaoli County and Yilan County. International cooperation on reprocessing and vitrification has been limited by policy debates in the Legislative Yuan and positions taken by parties such as People First Party.

Safety, Regulation, and Incidents

Regulation is led by the Atomic Energy Council (Taiwan), which coordinates with the Ministry of Health and Welfare (Taiwan) and emergency services including Fire Bureau (Taipei City) for preparedness. Safety upgrades have drawn on standards from the International Atomic Energy Agency, World Association of Nuclear Operators, and lessons from incidents such as the Three Mile Island accident, Chernobyl disaster, and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Taiwan's seismic risk assessment referenced studies by Central Weather Administration (Taiwan), US Geological Survey, and academic groups at National Taiwan University. Reported incidents and events have been audited by bodies including Control Yuan and monitored by media outlets like Taipei Times, China Post, and United Daily News.

Public Policy, Protests, and Nuclear Phase-out Debates

Policy on nuclear energy has been contested in elections involving figures such as Chen Shui-bian, Ma Ying-jeou, and Tsai Ing-wen, and in legislative debates within the Legislative Yuan. Movements opposing nuclear power included the Anti-Nuclear Movement (Taiwan), local branches of Greenpeace, and community groups in New Taipei City and Keelung. Referendums and ballots under Taiwan's electoral system shaped outcomes in municipal and national contests; campaigns were organized by coalitions including Citizen 1985 Foundation and labor groups such as the Taiwan Confederation of Trade Unions. Pro-nuclear advocates cited industrial stakeholders like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and utilities tied to export markets in Southeast Asia.

Environmental and Economic Impacts

Debates assess impacts on coastal ecosystems near Taiwan Strait and East China Sea with studies by Academia Sinica and environmental NGOs like Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association. Economic analyses by Taipei Exchange, Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, and international bodies such as the International Energy Agency compared levelized costs against alternatives: imports of liquefied natural gas from suppliers like Qatar and Australia, and renewables including wind power projects off Penghu County and offshore wind farm developments by companies like Orsted and Canopee Energy. Employment and local development effects touched municipalities including New Taipei City, Hsinchu City, and Pingtung County while insurance, liability, and compensation frameworks referenced the Civil Code (Taiwan) and international conventions such as the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage.

Category:Energy in Taiwan