Nuclear power an option to support AI-driven electricity demand: Lai

Taipei, March 21 (CNA) Taiwan will have a stable supply of power through 2032 without nuclear energy, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said Saturday, but he signaled he was open to restarting two decommissioned nuclear plants to meet an expected increase in power demand driven by the AI sector.

Speaking to business leaders in Taichung, Lai addressed potential energy supply disruptions amid the ongoing Middle East war, a pressing concern as Qatar accounted for 33.7 percent of Taiwan's liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports in 2025, the biggest share of any supplier.

Taiwan's current stocks of LNG stand at approximately 12 to 14 days, exceeding the legal requirement of 11 days, and its oil reserves surpass 100 days, above the statutory mandate of 90 days, Lai said at an event hosted by the Entrepreneur Club.

Lai gave assurances that energy supplies of oil and LNG will remain secure through April, but indicated that May will be "slightly tight" before oil and LNG shipments purchased from the United States begin to arrive in Taiwan in June.

LNG is of critical importance to Taiwan because of a conscious decision made by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government when it retook power in 2016 to phase out nuclear power by 2025 while boosting support for LNG and renewable energy.

To support the policy, which Lai backed and implemented as premier from September 2017 to January 2019, the DPP government projected a huge increase in natural gas' share of Taiwan's electricity mix, from 30.6 percent in 2015 to 50 percent in 2025.

At the same time, it intended to cut coal's share from 45.4 percent to 30 percent and increase renewables from 4.1 percent to 20 percent over the same period of time.

In fact, in 2025, natural gas accounted for 47.8 percent of Taiwan's power, according to Energy Administration statistics while the target for renewables fell about 7 percentage points short.

Taiwan phased out nuclear energy in May last year following the shutdown of the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant (Nuclear Power Plant No. 3).

With public support for nuclear power gaining ground in recent years, Lai as president has taken a more open stance on nuclear energy.

He has noted on multiple occasions that Taiwan would be willing to embrace its benefits if future technological advances can resolve safety and nuclear waste issues and if public consensus is reached.

In his speech on Saturday, Lai confirmed that work has begun to secure approvals for restarting the decommissioned No. 2 (Kuosheng) New Power Plant in New Taipei and the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung.

Taiwan Power Co., Taiwan's state-owned power company, has initiated the relevant preparatory procedures and is expected to submit a restart plan to the Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC) for review by the end of this month, Lai said.

He reiterated that nuclear safety, nuclear waste disposal, and public consensus are the three key factors to be considered by the NSC.

Lai said Taiwan's daily reserve margin is currently above 10 percent, indicating a stable power supply even without relying on nuclear energy.

But several factors are behind the government's initiative to restart nuclear power, Lai said, including continued economic growth, global demand for low-carbon electricity, and increasing power consumption fueled by the development of the AI sector.

In response, the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) said that by being open to the restart of two nuclear power plants, which together could account for about 11 percent of Taiwan's energy mix, Lai has finally admitted the DPP's "nuclear-free homeland" was a complete failure.

KMT spokesperson Yin Nai-ching (尹乃菁) urged Lai to issue an "emergency order" to immediately restart No. 3 Nuclear Power Plant to ensure Taiwan's energy security as quickly as possible.

Given the tense situation in the Middle East, Taiwan still faces an urgent risk of major gas supply disruptions despite having reserves, Yin said, adding that a review scheduled for March would come far too late to address the threat.