The National Atomic Research Institute (NARI) has launched a large-scale, four-year small modular reactor research project with a budget exceeding NT$100 million (US$3.3 million).
The research into new nuclear technologies came as the government is slated to decommission the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant's No. 2 reactor in Pingtung County on Saturday, fulfilling its promise to make Taiwan nuclear free.
Small modular reactors are designed to be factory-fabricated and smaller and more modular than traditional nuclear reactors, with a power output of up to 300 megawatts — about one-third the output of a traditional nuclear reactor, according to the International Atomic Energy’s Web site.
Photo: Tsai Tsung-hsien, Taipei Times
Taiwan previously operated three traditional nuclear power plants, supplying about 10 percent of Taiwan’s electricity in 2016. Since December 2018, reactors have been decommissioned as they came to the end of their service life, with Ma-anshan’s No. 2 reactor the only remaining unit.
Since January, that reactor has accounted for about 3.6 percent of the electricity generated by Taiwan Power Co (Taipower).
President William Lai (賴清德) has said he remains open to the use of advanced nuclear technologies as long as three conditions are met: nuclear safety, proper management of nuclear waste and societal consensus.
However, with the decommissioning of the reactors, the number of people proficient in nuclear technology in Taiwan has declined, raising concerns about a potential talent gap.
Nuclear Safety Commission Chairman Chen Min-jen (陳明真) acknowledged the issue in a legislative hearing, saying that a significant amount of nuclear talent has been lost over the past two decades, and that the government needs to cultivate and retain personnel for the sector.
In addition to establishing a training system for current employees, the commission has collaborated with the National Science and Technology Council on formulating a nuclear science and technology research program, he said.
Toward that end, the commission has allocated funding to support academic and research institutions on conducting studies on the safe management of nuclear waste, and the development of nuclear technologies and applications in nuclear and radiological medical science, he said.
The council said it is lobbying the Ministry of Education to add nuclear engineering as a category in publicly funded overseas study programs, offering funding to at least three students per year.
The move is intended to encourage young students to study advanced nuclear technologies abroad, to bolster Taiwan’s research and talent pool, it said.
Anticipating the potential commercial debut of small modular reactors by 2030, NARI said its goal is to provide a reference for industrial or national policies.
The institute also plans to send personnel to countries with advanced nuclear plants, such as in Europe, the US and Japan for training, and to recruit international experts or overseas Taiwanese academics to introduce advanced global technologies and perspectives, it said.
The people recruited from overseas would be integrated with domestic teams to establish a national small modular reactor research team, it said.
Separately, Taipower yesterday said that large-scale, gas-fired power plants with a combined output of 5 gigawatts (GW) would be brought online this year to make up for the closure of the Ma-anshan plant.
That, combined with renewable energy sources, would ensure a stable power supply, it said.
Last month, single-day output from solar energy exceeded 10GW, while wind power exceeded 3GW, together accounting for about one-third of total electricity generation, it said.
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) last month said that when the new generators come online, the reserve margin can be maintained at 10 percent during the day and 7 percent at night.
The power supply is expected to remain sufficient through 2032, he added.
Commenting on proposals from opposition party legislators to restart existing nuclear reactors, Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) last week said that if such plans proceed, it would take at least 16 to 18 months due to a number of factors, including the need to repurchase fuel rods.
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