Taiwan held its first compounded nuclear disaster drill yesterday, with President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) looking on as emergency responders shifted into gear at the Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in Wanli District (萬里), New Taipei City (新北市).
The exercise, organized by Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) and the New Taipei City Fire Department, also involved staff at the nuclear plant.
The scenario of the drill was based on the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear crisis that has haunted Japan since March 11, the day a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami devastated the country’s northeast.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
The exercise presumed a magnitude 8 earthquake at a depth of 10km, with the epicenter located 342km northeast of the plant. A tsunami between 15m and 20m in height was assumed to have hit the coast.
Taipower officials said that in the worst-case scenario of a total power outage at the plant, they would make saving lives the top priority by abandoning the plant and injecting seawater to prevent a meltdown of the nuclear core.
The scenario included a fire alarm system that broke down after the earthquake, cascading power failures, as well as malfunctions in the reactor and the cooling pool for spent fuel, resulting in overheating fuel rods, which can cause a hydrogen explosion and excessive radiation leakage.
Photo: Sam Yeh, AFP
White foam was sprayed from fire trucks to put out a fire while responders in radiation protection suits assessed radiation levels near the site.
Following the fire simulation, responders demonstrated how water would be injected into the reactor and cooling pool by using fire trucks.
Although Taiwan’s geological environment is not the same as Japan’s, firm precautionary measures need to be in place, Ma said, adding that regular practice was needed to ensure proper and timely response to earthquakes.
“In the short term, Taiwan cannot be without nuclear energy. As such, nuclear safety must be our priority,” he said.
Ma gave the first day of the exercise a very positive grade. The drill continues today, this time with a focus on evacuation and temporary accommodation of nearby residents.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The US Department of State on Monday reaffirmed that US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, following US President Donald Trump’s use of the term “unification” while commenting on recent trade talks with China. Speaking at a wide-ranging press conference, Trump described what he viewed as progress in trade negotiations with China held in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend. “They’ve agreed to open China — fully open China, and I think it’s going to be fantastic for China. I think it’s going to be fantastic for us,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be great for unification and peace.” Trump’s use of the
RSS