Taiwan nuclear power phaseout to push fossil fuel use higher: MOEA

Taipei, April 29 (CNA) Taiwan's electricity supply will rely on 84 percent fossil fuels once the country's last active nuclear power reactor is shut down in mid-May, Economic Affairs Minister Kuo Jyh-huei (郭智輝) said Tuesday.

Both Kuo and Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) were quizzed ahead of a legislative hearing on the impact the shutting down of the nuclear reactor in the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County would have on Taiwan's energy supply and emissions.

Kuo said "thermal power," which in Taiwan refers to the fossil fuels coal, natural gas, and fuel oil, will account for 84 percent of domestic electricity production, but he expected renewables will account for 20 percent by November 2026 and 30 percent by 2030.

When it took power in May 2016, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) decided to phase out nuclear power by 2025 while setting a goal of 20 percent renewables in the same year.

That goal now appears unambitious, given that the world on average derived 30 percent of its electricity from renewable sources for the first time in 2023, but even then Taiwan has lagged behind in achieving it.

In 2024, fossil fuels accounted for 83.2 percent of Taiwan's electricity generation (39.3 percent coal and 42.4 percent natural gas), compared to 4.2 percent for nuclear energy, 1.1 percent for pumped storage, and only 11.6 percent for renewable energy, according to Energy Administration figures.

One of the Maanshan plant's reactors was shut down in late July 2024, and the last reactor now accounts for just under 3 percent of Taiwan's power during peak demand periods.

Premier Cho said shutting down that final reactor will not affect Taiwan's electricity generation or lead to energy shortages in the next five to seven years.

He said three thermal power stations -- Hsinta, Sun Ba, and Datan -- will be expanded with new units to fill that gap, while the reserve margin is expected to remain above 15 percent.

Kuo was also asked whether the shutdown of the nuclear plant would aggravate air pollution, but he said it would not because the sources of power being used would continue to be renewable energy and natural gas, which he described as a "low-carbon" form of energy.