Premier Chen Chien-jen has weighed in on a KMT bill proposing to extend the lifespan of nuclear power plants. The KMT says the nuclear units should be allowed to operate for as long as safety conditions are met. Chen says the matter is not so simple in Taiwan, due to the island’s location along the earthquake-prone ring of fire. Let’s hear from him.

Chen Chien-jen
Premier
Electricity generation from renewable resources already exceeds that of nuclear power plants. So the issue of extending the lifespan of nuclear power plants needs to be carefully considered. We also have to face challenges posed by nuclear waste. So currently, at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and at Taipower, the plans are all in the direction of going ahead with the decommissioning of nuclear power plants. Of course, we also respect the decisions taken by the members of the Legislative Yuan. But we hope that information on the plan can be provided to everyone to discuss matters rationally.

Two nuclear power plants will soon be decommissioned in Taiwan. The two units at the Maanshan plant in Pingtung are slated for decommissioning this July and in May next year, when their 40-year-licenses expire. Construction of Taiwan’s fourth nuclear power plant was halted in 2014. The KMT is calling for the first two plants to be re-commissioned, for the third to remain in operation for longer, and for construction to resume in the fourth one.

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