TAIPEI: Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te said Saturday (March 21) two nuclear power plants "meet the conditions for reactivation", as the energy import-dependent island moves to strengthen its domestic power generation capacity.
Taiwan relies almost entirely on imported fossil fuels to meet its energy needs, in particular its critical semiconductor sector, and the Middle East conflict has unsettled global supply lines.
Lai's Democratic Progressive Party has long pushed for a "nuclear-free homeland", partly fuelled by concerns about nuclear safety after Japan's Fukushima disaster in 2011.
Nuclear power provided a significant chunk of the island's electricity supply for about four decades before the last reactor was shut down.
Opposition parties say continued supply is needed for energy security.
Taiwan shut down its last operating reactor at the Ma'anshan, commonly known as the third nuclear power plant, in southern Pingtung county in May last year, in line with the ruling party's policy to phase out nuclear power by 2025.
Another one, known as the second nuclear power plant was decommissioned in 2023 after its operating permit expired.
Lai said at a business event on Saturday the "second and third nuclear power plants meet the conditions for restarting", without specifying what the requirements are.
He said state utility Taipower, which operated the plants, would submit restart applications to the Nuclear Safety Council by the end of the month for review.
The council will consider safety issues and whether there is public consensus on restarting the plants during the review, he added.
Deputy economic minister Ho Chin-tsang said at a parliamentary session Friday that the Ma'anshan plant could restart as early as 2028, although he did not provide a timeline for the second plant.
"The international community needs low-carbon electricity, and we must also consider the electricity required for computing power in the era of artificial intelligence," Lai said.
He assured the public that Taiwan's oil and natural gas supplies are sufficient for March and April.
"May is also almost problem-free, just a little short. In June... additional oil and gas purchased from the US will come to Taiwan."
Taiwan's legal requirements mandate 90 days of oil reserves and 11 days of natural gas reserves.
Lai said the island currently holds more than 100 days of oil and 12 to 14 days of gas. - AFP
