Two of the nation’s three decommissioned nuclear power plants may feasibly be recommissioned, according to a Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) report approved by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) yesterday.
Taipower is expected to propose restart plans to the Nuclear Safety Commission by March next year after conducting voluntary safety inspections, the ministry said in a news release today.
The Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Wanli District (萬里) and Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County's Hengchun Township (恆春) may both feasibly be restarted, the report said.
Photo: Tsai Tsung-hsien, Taipei Times
The Ma-anshan plant’s voluntary safety inspection has to undergo peer review and requires assistance from the original manufacturer, a process estimated to take one-and-a-half to two years, the ministry said.
The Kuosheng plant still has spent nuclear fuel that must first be removed, it said, adding that it would take a longer time than the Ma-anshan plant due to nearly a decade of delays in completing its dry-storage facility.
Taipower conducted status assessments for the three nuclear power plants in accordance with the newly amended Nuclear Reactor Facilities Regulation Act (核子反應器設施管制法) and relevant regulations, it said.
The assessment covered seven major areas: unit equipment, labor allocation, dry cask storage for spent fuel, operating-life extensions of similar reactor types, seismic resistance, safety inspection readiness and power-supply efficiency.
Results showed that the Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Shihmen District (石門) is not suitable for recommissioning, it said.
The plant’s two units have been offline for more than 11 and eight years respectively, leading to severe equipment aging, it said.
Most major power-generation components have already been dismantled, and the majority of instrumentation and electrical parts would need replacement or upgrading, it said.
It also uses the same reactor design as those involved in the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster in Japan, where all similar units have entered decommissioning, it added.
However, preliminary findings showed that the Kuosheng plant possesses the conditions for restart, it said.
The plant’s safety and support systems have continued to receive periodic overhaul and maintenance as if it were still operating, it said.
However, its power-generation systems have been idle for more than two years, requiring long-term overhaul and implementation of a restoration control plan, with functions needing reverification, it said.
Preliminary findings also showed that the Ma-anshan plant meets the conditions for recommissioning, it said.
The plant’s equipment has not been dismantled and all units have undergone regular overhaul and maintenance to operational standards, it said.
The reactors have been cleared, with room still available in the spent-fuel pools, it added.
However, certain components that involve original manufacturer patents would require their assistance, it said.
Following approval of the status assessment report, Taipower is expected to prepare restart plans and initiate voluntary safety inspections, including aging and seismic safety evaluations, it said.
The ministry said that the voluntary safety inspections would assess whether various facilities and equipment at the plants can have their operating lives extended and determine necessary reinforcements.
Taipei and Kaohsiung have extended an open invitation to Japanese pop star Ayumi Hamasaki after Chinese authorities abruptly canceled her scheduled concert in Shanghai. Hamasaki, 47, had been slated to perform on Saturday before organizers pulled the show at the last minute, citing “force majeure,” a move widely viewed as retaliation for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could draw a military response from Tokyo. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) yesterday said the city “very much welcomes” Hamasaki’s return and would continue to “surprise” her. Hamasaki, who has a large global fan base, including
Starting next month, people who signed up for the TPass 2.0 program can receive a 15 percent rebate for trips on mid to long-distance freeway buses or on buses headed to the east coast twice every month, the Highway Bureau said. Bureau Director-General Lin Fu-shan (林福山) said the government started TPass 2.0 to offer rebates to frequent riders of public transportation, or people who use city buses, highway buses, trains or MRTs at least 11 times per month. As of Nov. 12, 265,000 people have registered for TPass 2.0, and about 16.56 million trips between February and September qualified for
‘REGRETTABLE’: Travelers reported that Seoul’s online arrival card system lists Taiwan as ‘China (Taiwan),’ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday urged South Korea to correct the way Taiwan is listed in its newly launched e-Arrival card system, saying the current designation downgrades the nation’s status. South Korea rolled out the online system on Feb. 24 to gradually replace paper arrival cards, which it plans to phase out by next year. Travelers must complete the electronic form up to 72 hours before entering the country. The ministry said it has received multiple complaints from Taiwanese travelers saying that the system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in dropdown menus for both “place of departure” and “next
The year 2027 is regarded as the year China would likely gain the capability to invade Taiwan, not the year it would launch an invasion, Taiwanese defense experts said yesterday. The experts made the remarks after President William Lai (賴清德) told a news conference on Wednesday that his administration would introduce a NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.8 billion) special defense budget bill to boost Taiwan’s overall defense posture over the next eight years. Lai said that Beijing aims for military unification of Taiwan by 2027. The Presidential Office later clarified that what Lai meant was that China’s goal is to “prepare for military unification
RSS