Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday reiterated Taiwan’s support for nuclear power as the world’s chipmaking hub looks to secure a stable electricity supply.
“We will fully embrace advanced nuclear technologies from around the world,” Cho said at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Industrial Technology Research Institute’s advanced semiconductor research and development base.
They would complement efforts to expand renewable energy, improve energy efficiency and storage, and strengthen the power grid, he said.
Photo: CNA
The new technologies include small modular reactors, designed to be manufactured in factories and assembled on site. The smaller reactors have gained significant momentum globally and have attracted investment from established nuclear players and a host of start-ups.
Taiwan is home to some of the world’s largest chipmakers, whose operations consume vast amounts of energy. The rapid growth of artificial intelligence is adding further strain to the nation’s power supply. The government is exploring the possibility of restarting two nuclear power plants and procedures to revive one of them could begin in 2028 if safety reviews proceed smoothly.
However, for Taiwan, the small modular reactor technology might be a longer-term solution.
The reactors are still at an early stage worldwide, with most projects in the start-up phase and unlikely to be commercially ready before 2030. Wide-scale deployment could take decades due to lengthy regulatory processes.
While the aim of the reactors is to cut costs and speed up construction, the strategy remains untested.
“We will carefully assess whether traditional nuclear power can offer greater reassurance to industry,” Cho said, adding that the goal is to ensure a stable and sufficient energy supply.
Travel agencies in Taiwan are working to secure alternative flights for travelers bound for New Zealand for the Lunar New Year holiday, as Air New Zealand workers are set to strike next week. The airline said that it has confirmed that the planned industrial action by its international wide-body cabin crew would go ahead on Thursday and Friday next week. While the Auckland-based carrier pledged to take reasonable measures to mitigate the impact of the workers’ strike, an Air New Zealand flight arriving at Taipei from Auckland on Thursday and another flight departing from Taipei for Auckland on Saturday would have to
The Taipei City Government yesterday confirmed that it has negotiated a royalties of NT$12.2 billion (US$380 million) with artificial intelligence (AI) chip giant Nvidia Corp, with the earliest possible signing date set for Wednesday next week. The city has been preparing for Nvidia to build its Taiwan headquarters in Beitou-Shilin Technology Park since last year, and the project has now entered its final stage before the contract is signed. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city government has completed the royalty price negotiations and would now push through the remaining procedures to sign the contract before
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday said the name of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania was agreed by both sides, after Lithuania’s prime minister described a 2021 decision to let Taiwan set up a de facto embassy in Vilnius as a “mistake.” Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene, who entered office in September last year, told the Baltic News Service on Tuesday that Lithuania had begun taking “small first steps” aimed at restoring ties with Beijing. The ministry in a statement said that Taiwan and Lithuania are important partners that share the values of freedom and democracy. Since the establishment of the
Taipei Zoo welcomes the Lunar New Year this year through its efforts to protect an endangered species of horse native to central Asia that was once fully extinct outside of captivity. The festival ushering in the Year of the Horse would draw attention to the zoo’s four specimens of Przewalski’s horse, named for a Russian geographer who first encountered them in the late 19th century across the steppes of western Mongolia. “Visitors will look at the horses and think that since this is the Year of the Horse: ‘I want to get to know horses,’” said zookeeper Chen Yun-chieh, who has been
RSS