Taiwan’s current economic conditions and energy policies dictate that it is unlikely to become a nuclear-free homeland by 2025, according to Atomic Energy Council Minister Tsai Chuen-horng Jan. 9.
“There is no way Taiwan can entirely abandon nuclear energy while still hoping to cap electricity rate hikes, maintain a stable power supply and reduce carbon emissions,” Tsai said.
“These three principles are the prerequisites for Taiwan’s reduced reliance on nuclear energy that ROC President Ma Ying-jeou highlighted during a presidential news conference Nov. 8, 2011.”
Tsai made the remarks during a legislative review session on an opposition Democratic Progressive Party proposal that Taiwan phases out nuclear power by 2025.
DPP Lawmaker Cheng Li-chiun said an investigation by the Control Yuan revealed that Taiwan’s actual reserve electricity capacity has always exceeded the statutory 15 percent since 2008, with the costs of idle capacity estimated at NT$120 billion (US$4.14 billion). “Taiwan has never experienced power shortages since this time,” she added.
Duh Tyzz-jiun, deputy minister of economic affairs, said that if the country’s fourth nuclear power plant under construction in northern Taiwan does not go on line in 2014 as scheduled, national reserve capacity margin will drop to 7.4 percent in 2015 and to 5 percent in 2021.
“At that point, power rationing will become an increasingly possible scenario,” he said. “We need to have feasible alternatives in place before Taiwan can gradually phase out nuclear power.” (JSM)
Write to Meg Chang at sfchang@mofa.gov.tw