Sat, Nov 04, 2023 page2

• ‘Nuclear-free homeland’ the consensus: Premier

  OBSTACLES: It could take about 20 years to build a nuclear plant, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said pointing to difficulties related to the energy source

  • By Yang Cheng-yu and Jason Pan / Staff reporters
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  Establishing a “nuclear-free homeland” is the public consensus and government policies would strive for this goal, Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) said yesterday, turning down calls by opposition parties to build additional nuclear power plants to supplement the nation’s energy needs.

  Saying that “nuclear energy is green energy,” opposition lawmakers have proposed that nuclear sources account for 10 percent of the nation’s energy mix by 2030 to help meet its goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

  The premier told a legislative hearing that the proposal would require construction of two additional nuclear plants, which is not feasible and does not conform to the public’s expectations.

  

  The Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Ma-anshan, Pingtung County, is pictured in an undated photograph.

  Photo: Taipei Times

  There are several criteria for nuclear plants to be eligible for “green energy financing and investment,” and Taiwan’s current treatment of nuclear waste has not reached international standards, Chen said, adding that RE100 — the global initiative for renewable energy — does not include nuclear power.

  “The government will continue on the path to net zero emissions by 2050, along with policies to reduce carbon emissions, expand sustainable energy and work to ensure Taiwan has a stable power supply,” Chen added.

  On Thursday, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said that the Jinshan and Guosheng nuclear power plants in New Taipei City have been decommissioned, while the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in Gongliao District (貢寮), New Taipei City, is mothballed due to “intractable problems,” so it would be difficult to meet the 10 percent contribution by 2030.

  As opposition parties proposed it, they should also suggest locations for the two new plants and measures on how to deal with nuclear waste, the ministry said in a news release.

  “Experience from other countries shows it used to take 10 years to build a nuclear plant... However, after the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear disasters, safety requirements and additional costs with public opposition have led to later projects taking more than 20 years,” the release said, adding that the the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant’s construction started in 1999, but after more than two decades, it still cannot be completed.

  “In Taiwan, we are facing very difficult problems of how to deal with nuclear waste and are still unable to agree on a final storage site. We even pushed for dry storage of spent nuclear fuel as a transition to the final location, but were met opposition from the New Taipei City Government and other local administrations, showing that it is still very difficult to treat and store nuclear waste,” the release said.

  Meanwhile, Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) legislators Chiu Chen-yuan (邱臣遠) and Cynthia Wu (吳欣盈) criticized a remark from Vice President William Lai (賴清德) that nuclear energy could be used in emergency situations, while saying that Lai’s statement and Chen’s acknowledgment of “nuclear energy is green energy” are antithetical to the DPP’s policies.

  TPP Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) recently visited Tainan and criticized ways of setting up solar power panel farms in rural regions, and questioned how the land plots were obtained, as many of these sites are of still good value for agricultural production, Chiu said.

  “Ko said in many places where the farmland disappeared, prosecutors in 2021 and last year investigated about 60 cases of alleged bribery and illegal activities involving sites for green energy production... These showed that government’s energy policy had led to rife corruption, distorting the original intention of the national policy,” Chiu said.

  Chiu outlined the TPP’s policy for sustainable energy and climate change including encouraging renewable energy and new applications, ensuring a stable electricity supply, financial incentives and “carbon fee” mechanism for industries to transition to green energy, and promoting use of electrical vehicles and public transportation.
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