US EditionTaiwan’s Self-Created Achilles’ Heel: Eliminating Nuclear Power
- Taiwan's legislature passed an amendment on May 14, 2025, allowing nuclear plants to apply for up to 20-year license extensions beyond the previous 40-year limit.
- This legal change follows rising energy demand driven by Taiwan's semiconductor industry and growing geopolitical tensions with China, which increase concerns about energy security.
- Although the amendment permits extensions, the last operating reactor at Maanshan will shut down on May 17, with no immediate plans for restarts due to lack of detailed regulations and required safety reviews.
- Premier Cho Jung-tai stated the government would not oppose restarting reactors if conditions are met, while energy experts emphasize that extensions need to address safety, waste, and public consensus.
- The amendment signals possible policy shifts in Taiwan's energy strategy, balancing industrial power needs with environmental goals amid ongoing debate over nuclear power's role in national security.
42 Articles
42 Articles
Malay Mail
AlKhaleej TodayTaiwan to pull plug on nuclear power, sparking energy security fears
TAIPEI, May 15 — Taiwan will turn off its last nuclear reactor on Saturday, fuelling concerns over the self-ruled island’s reliance on imported energy and vulnerability to a Chinese blockade. The island, which targets net-zero emissions by 2050, depends almost entirely on imported fossil fuel to power its homes, factories and critical semiconductor chip industry. President Lai Ching-te’s Democratic Progressive Party has long vowed to phase out n…
Nuclear reactor to close as planned despite law change: President Lai - Focus Taiwan
Taipei, May 14 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said Wednesday that the operation of Taiwan's last operating nuclear reactor cannot be extended or restarted without a "substantive review," despite an amendment passed Tuesday allowing nuclear facilities to extend their operating lifespan by 20 years.
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