The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has not ruled out closing the Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Shihmen District (石門) — the country’s first nuclear power plant — sooner than scheduled, providing that the fourth nuclear power plant functions stably when it comes on stream, Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-shiang (施顏祥) said yesterday.
The government would prefer not to extend the life of the three nuclear power plants that are currently in operation, Shih said in a presentation to the legislature’s Economics Committee.
However, construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in Gongliao District (貢寮), New Taipei City (新北市) — also known as the Longmen Nuclear Power Plant — which began in 1999, would continue, he said.
If it comes online in time, the reactors of the Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant could be shut down sooner than the dates scheduled in 2018 and 2019, he added.
“Safety is the basic consideration. We are confident that the No. 4 plant will begin operations as scheduled,” he said in response to Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ting Shou-chung’s (丁守中) question on whether Shih was certain of the date the new plant would start production.
Meanwhile, the MOEA has withdrawn an application that was submitted to the Atomic Energy Council to extend the life of the Jinshan plant, Shih said.
The question of when the Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Wanli District (萬里), also known as the second nuclear power plant, would be retired depended on the overall power supply situation in the country, he said. It must be ensured that there would be no power shortages (when the plant was shut down), he added.
He also said that Taiwan had no timetable for achieving a nuclear-free environment. Nuclear power policies should be made on the basis that there would be no power rationing, that electricity rates would be reasonable and that global demands to reduce carbon emissions would be met, he said.
Whether to proceed with construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant has become an issue since a nuclear disaster occurred at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan in March as a result of a devastating earthquake and tsunami.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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