TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) affirmed on Friday (June 28) that the 40-year lifespan of nuclear power plants is a contract between the government and the people, and actions must be taken in accordance with this principle of trust.
This statement came in response to Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) Legislator Su Ching-chuan (蘇清泉), who expressed conditional support for the extension of Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant (third nuclear power plant) to address energy shortages.
Su urged the Executive Yuan to consider the possibility of extending the life of the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant during a recent questioning session. He pointed out that the planned photovoltaic zone, to be established after Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant's retirement, would occupy 400 hectares. Even if fully utilized, he estimates it would only generate around 300 million degrees of electricity annually, which is insufficient.
In response, Premier Cho cited Article 16 of the Enforcement Rules for the Implementation of Nuclear Reactor Facilities Regulation Act, stating that the decommissioning process for Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant would take 25 years, during which unrelated uses are prohibited.
He further noted that there are areas in Pingtung with poor forest conditions that could be restored to agricultural use. For regions with poor soil fertility that are not sensitive areas or ecological habitats, consideration could still be given to photovoltaic use, but this requires further review and provision of relevant data.
