The first reactor at the yet-to-be-completed Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in Gongliao (貢寮), New Taipei City (新北市), will begin commercial operation no later than 2015, Taipower vice president Hsu Hwai-chiung (徐懷瓊) said.
Hsu’s statement came after President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) on Thursday outlined his administration’s new energy policy in which he said safety would be paramount in dealing with commercial operations at the power plant, which has had its completion date repeatedly postponed.
Hsu said Taipower had incorporated improvements to the project, such as an emergency diesel generator facility, after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant crisis in Japan, triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami that crippled the facility on March 11.
In line with Ma’s instructions, Hsu said, Taipower would adopt the strictest possible safety standards in handling the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant’s testing and supervisory work.
“We will invite international professional organizations, such as the World Association of Nuclear Operators, to assist with oversight and the plant will go online only once optimal safety is guaranteed,” Hsu said.
In addition to Taipower’s internal controls, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Atomic Energy Council (AEC) have also closely monitored the construction of the plant to ensure safety standards are met, Minster of Economic Affairs Shih Yen--shiang (施顏祥) said.
Ma on Thursday said the scheduled 40-year service life of Taipower’s three existing nuclear plants — the Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant in Shihmen District (石門), New Taipei City, Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in Wanli District (萬里), New Taipei City and the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Ma-anshan (馬鞍山), Pingtung County — would not be extended.
He also said that the Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant could go offline early if the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant is operating properly before 2016.
Asked his view on Ma’s promise, Shih said any early decommissioning of the Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant would hinge on the smooth operation of the fourth plant and the opinion of the AEC.
The two units at the Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant are scheduled to be decommissioned in 2018 and 2019, with the two units at the Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant closing in 2021 and 2023, and the two at the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in 2024 and 2025.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
Taiwanese officials were shown the first of 66 F-16V fighter jets purchased by Taiwan from the United States, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday, adding the aircraft has completed an initial flight test and is expected to be delivered later this year. A delegation led by Deputy Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) visited Lockheed Martin’s F-16 C/D Block 70 (also known as F-16V) assembly line in South Carolina on March 16 to view the aircraft. The jet will undergo a final acceptance flight in the US before being delivered to Taiwan, the
The New Taipei Metro's Sanyin Line and the eastern extension of the Taipei Metro's Tamsui-Xinyi Line (Red Line) are scheduled to begin operations in June, the National Development Council said today. The Red Line, which terminates at Xiangshan Station, would be connected by the 1.4km extension to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, while the Sanyin Line would link New Taipei City's Tucheng and Yingge stations via Sanxia District (三峽). The council gave the updates at a council meeting reviewing progress on public construction projects for this year. Taiwan's annual public infrastructure budget would remain at NT$800 billion (US$25.08 billion), with NT$97.3
RSS