Members of the Association for Legislative Yuan Journalists visited the yet-to-be-completed Lungmen nuclear power station in New Taipei City April 13.
Nuclear engineers accompanied the 52 reporters on their tour of the Gongliao District facility to answer questions and explain plant operations. Photography was allowed for the first time.
In the building housing reactor one, the journalists saw 872 new fuel rods in storage. According to an engineer, fuel rods that have not undergone nuclear fission present no danger of radiation. Once the plant is in operation, thickened steel plates around the generators next to the reactor will prevent any radiation from escaping into the atmosphere, he said.
In the oceanside pumping station that will supply water to cool the reactors, the engineer pointed out that the seawall can resist a tsunami as high as 8.07 meters. Moreover, in contrast to the design at Japan’s Fukushima Dai-ichi facility, the pumps are indoors and protected by individual watertight gates. “There’s no way a tsunami could affect pumping here.”
As backup to the pumps, Lungmen has storage tanks 100 meters above sea level that can provide water to the reactors through underground pipes within 10 minutes.
The engineer stressed that international experts have judged the plant’s location to be the best in Taiwan, and its design cutting edge.
In response to concerns about the disposal of nuclear waste, Taiwan Power Co. acting Vice President Hsu Yung-hua said that if a permanent storage site cannot be found, used fuel rods can be kept on-site at Lungmen for up to 60 years.
Since 1996, 180,000 people have toured the Lungmen plant, Taipower said. More groups have applied to visit since the government announced the future of the station would be put to a referendum, including students, reporters, lawmakers, social commentators, business associations and civic organizations.
A 30-member community group from New Taipei City’s Xizhi District was on site at the same time as the journalists, and Premier Jiang Yi-huah is scheduled to make an inspection April 17, the company said. Sources familiar with the matter said Mom Loves Taiwan, a local anti-nuclear alliance, may get permission to see the facility in May or June.
As large numbers of visitors could interfere with the plant’s ongoing construction, rules are being drawn up to regulate access, a Taipower official said, adding that the company is also considering allowing visits to the Chinshan and Kuosheng nuclear stations, also in New Taipei City. (THN)
Write to Grace Kuo at mlkuo@mofa.gov.tw