Nuclear reactor to close as planned despite law change: President Lai

Taipei, May 14 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said Wednesday that the operation of Taiwan's last operating nuclear reactor cannot be extended or restarted without a "substantive review," despite an amendment passed Tuesday allowing nuclear facilities to extend their operating lifespan by 20 years.

"The No. 2 reactor at the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant cannot be directly extended or immediately restarted without substantive review," Lai said during a Central Executive Committee meeting of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which he chairs.

The president said that the Legislative Yuan passed the amendment to the Nuclear Reactor Facilities Regulation Act just four days before the reactor was scheduled to shut down.

Under the revision, nuclear power plant operators are allowed to apply for a 20-year license renewal beyond the existing 40-year limit, potentially extending a plant's operating lifespan to 60 years.

Lai reaffirmed that the reactor in Pingtung County will be decommissioned on Saturday, marking Taiwan's formal transition to a "nuclear-free homeland" -- a policy goal of successive DPP administrations.

"Countries around the world treat nuclear decisions -- whether to end, extend, or restart -- with rigorous scientific procedures, substantial social consensus, and major budget allocations," he told fellow party leaders.

Lai said the government remains open to new, advanced nuclear technologies but insisted that any future policy shift must meet three conditions, which are safety, waste solutions, and public consensus.

He added that the DPP is a "democratic and responsible political party" and nuclear safety concerns must be addressed using "more scientifically rigorous procedures."

In the 113-seat Legislative Yuan, the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and the smaller Taiwan People's Party (TPP) have a majority of 60 seats, while the ruling DPP has 51 seats. The other two seats are held by independent lawmakers.

On Tuesday, the KMT and TPP pushed the amendment through the Legislature, defeating the DPP by a vote of 60 to 51.

DPP lawmakers opposed the bill due to concerns over nuclear waste, while KMT and TPP legislators argued that the changes provide flexibility and do not guarantee an immediate extension of nuclear operations.