Construction of dry waste storage casks for 2nd Nuclear Plant greenlit

Taipei, Aug. 23 (CNA) The construction of outdoor casks for the storage of high-level radioactive waste of the Second Nuclear Power Plant, whose two reactor units stopped operating respectively in 2021 and 2023, is to start in 2025 after getting belated approval from the New Taipei City government last week.

The two reactor units of the Second Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City's Wanli District respectively entered the decommissioning phase in July 2021 and March 2023.

Their spent nuclear fuel in the plant's spent fuel pool however could not be moved out for dry cask storage, a process that needs to be undertaken for decommissioning and guarantee safer storage than putting spent fuel in the liquid pool, Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) Vice President Tsai Chih-meng (蔡志孟) told CNA Friday.

The New Taipei City government declined to approve the environmental-protection-related proposal for several years, leading Taipower to file a lawsuit in 2020 to the Taipei High Administrative Court, which moved the case to mediation earlier this year.

The mediation was completed in June and the city government approved the "soil and water conservation plan" made by Taipower for the dry cask construction in mid-August, according to Tsai.

Some more time will be needed for the administrative preparation before the construction officially begins in early 2025, Tsai said, adding the spent fuel is expected to be moved out of the pool starting in late 2026.

At the same time, indoor dry casks are also scheduled to be built for more storage space, according to the Taipower spokesperson.

While there have been calls to extend the life of the Second Nuclear Power Plant following the completion of the outdoor dry casks, Tsai said the casks would allow no more than five years of plant operation.

Indoor dry casks have to be built for the plant's longer extended operation, he said, however, the extension of the plant's operating license has to be approved by the Legislature and the necessary safety checks have to be completed.

The bid for the construction of indoor dry cask storage facilities for the Second Nuclear Power Plant is expected to take place next year, according to Taipower.

Meanwhile, outdoor dry cask storage facilities for the First Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City's Shimen District were built in 2013 but never used after the city government discovered unapproved design changes.

The city government, which fined Taipower for the infraction, subsequently declined to approve a resubmitted proposal that included the design changes.

Mediation was completed this April after Taipower filed a lawsuit, and the spent fuel is expected to be completely moved to dry casks in early 2026.