Pingtung seeks full safeguards before Maanshan nuclear plant restart

Taipei, March 22 (CNA) Local officials and residents in Pingtung County on Saturday called for comprehensive safety measures before any restart of the decommissioned Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant (No. 3 Nuclear Plant).

Pingtung County Magistrate Chou Chun-mi (周春米) said the government's priority must be "safety, safety and safety again" if the plant in Hengchun Township is to be brought back online.

She noted that Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) is currently conducting inspections and reviews in accordance with amendments to the Nuclear Reactor Facilities Regulation Act, but did not suggest any other measures that could bolster the plant's safety if restarted.

Her appeal came after President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said earlier Saturday that the process to restart two decommissioned nuclear power plants, with the goal of meeting rising electricity demand driven by the artificial intelligence (AI) sector, had begun.

Lai said Taipower has begun preparatory procedures and will submit a restart plan to the Nuclear Safety Commission by the end of March.

The Maanshan plant, located near the resort town of Kenting, began operating in July 1984. When its second reactor was decommissioned in May 2025, it became the last of Taiwan's three active nuclear power plants to be shut down after 40 years of use.

Chou did not object to the Maanshan plant running after she took over as county magistrate in December 2022, but she did oppose a referendum in August 2025 to restart the decommissioned plant.

Local opinion on the issue in Hengchun was divided.

Hengchun Township head You Shi-jing (尤史經) told CNA that he supported a restart, citing the August 2025 referendum in which more residents voted in favor than against the restart, and said such a move could boost employment and the local economy.

In the nationwide referendum, voters backed to restart the power plant by a 74.2 percent to 25.8 percent margin, but the number of "yes" votes (4,341,432) fell short of the 5,000,523 (25 percent of eligible voters) threshold needed for the initiative to pass.

In Hengchun Township, the measure was supported by a 60.7 percent to 39.3 percent margin, but total turnout was only 27.3 percent, with only 6,830 of the township's 24,992 eligible voters casting ballots.

A resident surnamed Chang (張) told CNA that given the low turnout, he believed that the support may have been skewed by the presence of plant workers in nearly communities.

Chang said any restart had to be accompanied by full transparency and adequate supporting measures, and he voiced concern over emergency preparedness.

Not all residents participated in a nuclear safety drill held in September 2025, he said, and he argued that in the event of an incident, the safety of not only locals but also tourists unfamiliar with the area needed to be considered.

Also on Saturday, the National Anti-Nuclear Action Platform reiterated its opposition to restarting nuclear plants, citing unresolved issues including nuclear waste disposal, safety concerns, and a lack of public consensus.

The group also questioned whether political pressure could accelerate the review process.

Lai's comments came amid a war in the Middle East that has raised questions about Taiwan's energy security and electricity availability.

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party, in power since 2016, decided to allow nuclear power to be phased out in 2025 to achieve its "nuclear-free homeland" vision rather than extend the lifespans of those plants.

But rising support for nuclear power in recent years has prompted some in the DPP, including Lai, to echo a more flexible stance on the issue.