Taipei: Taipower Chairman Tseng Wen-sheng emphasized Friday the importance of conducting a safety check on the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant, irrespective of the upcoming referendum’s outcome regarding the plant’s service life extension.

According to Focus Taiwan, the review to determine the safety of the Maanshan plant, Taiwan’s No. 3 nuclear power facility, could be completed in up to two years, or potentially within 18 months if processes proceed smoothly. Tseng advocated for prioritizing the safety assessment before making any decisions on reactivating the plant, highlighting the necessity of understanding potential risks first.

The Maanshan plant, situated in Pingtung County, ceased operations in May. This move aligned with the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) policy to phase out nuclear power in favor of green energy. However, this transition has sparked concerns about its effectiveness and cost-efficiency, especially as fossil fuels still comprised over 80 percent of Taiwan’s electricity mix in 2024. These concerns led the opposition Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), with support from the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), to propose a referendum on reactivating the plant.

The referendum question asks: “Do you agree that the Third Nuclear Power Plant should continue operating once the competent authority has confirmed that there are no safety concerns?” In a Pop Radio interview, Tseng stressed the importance of adhering to standard procedures under global rules and Taiwan’s Nuclear Reactor Facilities Regulation Act for the safety checks. The results would then be submitted to the Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC) for review.

Tseng cited past experiences, noting the No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant’s application for an extension, which underwent extensive evaluation and review without reaching a conclusion before its shutdown. Meanwhile, the No. 2 Nuclear Power Plant never submitted an extension report, and the Maanshan plant has yet to undergo an extension evaluation.

According to Tseng, the Maanshan plant is prepared for inspection, having already cleared its reactor core. He also mentioned that for the second nuclear power plant, all fuel must be removed before any decisions, and some equipment at the first plant has already been dismantled.