ROC President Ma Ying-jeou unveiled the government’s new nuclear energy policy Nov. 3, promising to take gradual steps toward a nuclear-free homeland.
Ma announced that the scheduled 40-year service period of the country’s three existing nuclear plants—the No. 1 and No. 2 facilities in New Taipei City, and the No. 3 plant in the southern county of Pingtung—will not be extended, while the No. 4 plant in New Taipei City will only begin commercial operations when all safety requirements are met.
“This new energy policy is crafted in a proactive, practical and responsible manner in keeping with the principles of no power rationing, maintenance of stable electricity prices and continued reduction of carbon dioxide emissions to meet international goals,” Ma said.
The president’s remarks came in a news conference at the Presidential Office with Vice President Vincent C. Siew, Premier Wu Dun-yih, Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-shiang and Atomic Energy Council Minister Tsai Chuen-horng in attendance.
Ma said the new policy is in line with Article 23 of the Basic Environment Act, which directs the government to make plans for gradually achieving the goal of becoming a nuclear-free country.
Regarding the controversial No. 4 Longmen nuclear power plant, whose operation date has been repeatedly postponed, Ma stressed that safety is the paramount guiding principle, and the facility will only go on line after it passes strict evaluation by the government and independent international nuclear safety organizations.
He added that additional improvement work is under way to reinforce safety at the plant in the wake of Japan’s nuclear crisis, triggered by an earthquake and tsunami that crippled the Fukushima Daiichi facility in March.
“In case of an emergency that exceeds the safety standards, we would rather sacrifice the nuclear plant than risk the chance of causing a nuclear crisis,” the president said.
Ma also promised that the No. 1 plant will be decommissioned early if the two units at the fourth plant enter stable commercial operations before 2016. Moreover, the national energy policy will be reviewed every four years once the Longmen facility is on line.
Shih said the Ministry of Economic Affairs is currently calculating the additional time and budget needed for the fourth plant’s improvement work and will announce its operation date early next year.
Speaking of building a green and low-carbon country, Ma pointed out that since he took office in 2008, Taiwan has made headway in reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gases emissions.
The country’s energy intensity (energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product) was cut by an average of 2.72 percent from 2008 to 2010, saving NT$300.7 billion (US$9.95 billion), Ma said, adding that carbon dioxide intensity (CO2 emissions per GDP) was down by an annual 4.11 percent during the same period, reducing CO2 emissions by 6.8 million tons.
