Nuclear plant safety key regardless of referendum results: Taipower exec

Taipei, Aug. 22 (CNA) Taipower Chairman Tseng Wen-sheng (曾文生) said Friday that he hopes a safety check of the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant will be conducted regardless of whether Saturday's referendum favors extending the plant's service life.

The review of whether the Maanshan plant, Taiwan's No. 3 nuclear power plant, is safe for reactivation can be completed within two years, Tseng said, adding it could be done within 18 months if everything went smoothly.

He suggested that the safety check should be done first, and then have people decide on whether to restart it after the potential risks are known.

● EXPLAINER/Taiwan's Aug. 23 nuclear power referendum

● Over 5 million votes required to pass nuclear power plant referendum

The Maanshan plant, located in Pingtung County, officially ceased operations in May.

While the move was aligned with the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) policy to phase out nuclear power and expand green energy, the transition has raised questions over its effectiveness and cost-efficiency, especially given that fossil fuels still accounted for over 80 percent of Taiwan's electricity mix in 2024.

Such doubts prompted the opposition Taiwan People's Party (TPP) to propose a referendum -- later passed with backing from the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) -- on reactivating the plant.

The referendum question reads: "Do you agree that the Third Nuclear Power Plant should continue operating once the competent authority has confirmed that there are no safety concerns?"

In an interview with Pop Radio on Friday, Tseng emphasized that the safety checks must follow standard procedures under global rules and Taiwan's Nuclear Reactor Facilities Regulation Act before the result is submitted to the Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC) for review.

Tseng noted that the No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant once applied for an extension, undergoing four years of evaluation and seven years of review by the commission, yet no conclusion was reached before the plant was shut down.

The No. 2 Nuclear Power Plant never submitted an extension report, while the Maanshan plant has never undergone an extension evaluation.

According to Tseng, the Maanshan plant is ready for inspection since its reactor core has already been cleared.

For the second nuclear power plant, all fuel must be removed before any decision can be made, while some equipment at the first nuclear power plant has already been dismantled.