Taiwan Energy Policy

Recent Japanese events have made me wonder about this country’s energy policy, which I have little idea about.

There are 3 nuclear facilities, if the below map is accurate. A colleague said there was one in Yilan, but it appears that is incorrect (?).
So what % of Taiwan’s total power capacity do these 3 provide, and what provides the rest - coal power-stations, with mostly imported coal? Anything that is renewable?

I don’t think Taiwan has an energy policy as such, except to subsidize it to such low levels that a lot of it gets wasted.

I believe about one quarter of Taiwan’s base load is provided by the nuclear plants. I think the fourth is now under construction. I’ve often wondered where they get their fuel from … AFAIK Taiwan has no local ore deposits and no processing facilities, although they did once have a covert nuclear programme.

Coal and oil is imported, but again I have no idea where from (presumably not from China). Being utterly dependent on foreign countries for your energy is obviously a precarious position to be in.

Renewable grid capacity is essentially zero, which in my opinion is not a bad thing. There are a lot of domestic solar water heating installations, especially in the south, which is nice to see.

Further conversation over dinner gives that the 4th nuclear power station is built and sitting on Fulong Beach, Yilan but is not yet operational. Perhaps in 2012?

[quote=“Nuit”]Recent Japanese events have made me wonder about this country’s energy policy, which I have little idea about.

There are 3 nuclear facilities, if the below map is accurate. A colleague said there was one in Yilan, but it appears that is incorrect (?).
So what % of Taiwan’s total power capacity do these 3 provide, and what provides the rest - coal power-stations, with mostly imported coal? Anything that is renewable?

[/quote]

I am more concerned about the lies coming out of the government regarding the nature of the risk. The lie about fourth-generation plants in Taiwan when in reality they are only second generation and not dissimilar to those in the Fukushima #1 and #2 plants where the problems are currently ongoing. Furthermore, there is no plan to evacuate the millions of people who live in Taipei, Xinbei, and Jilong should their be any problems at either of the Xinbei plants. Evacuating in Pingdong shouldn’t be nearly as problematical due to a much sparser population.

Also, the two plants in Xinbei seem to be at moderate risk for a massive tsunami as they are more northward facing as opposed to eastward facing Yilan, Hualian, and Taidong, which is the more likely source of such a devastating tsunami where Fukushima got the full force of the tsunami. What I do not know if the ability to maintain an independent power generation system to keep power to the plants in the event of a massive power failure in the wake of an event similar to what happened in Japan.

I am generally in favor of nuclear power pending the development of more commercially viable green enervy varities, which I wish the government would focus more on as Taiwan as substantial green evergy reserves that are largely untapped. However, safety has to be a primary concern and and rather than an honest assessment of disaster preparedness, I only see the KMT-government glossing everyone over and lying about Taiwan’s ability to deal with a disaster.

Did a study moons ago but forgot most of it. I think Nuclear accounts for something like 40pct of Taiwan power generation (decades ago SunMoonLake was enough to supply power for all of Taiwan) and the rest mainly from coal fired plants (biggest one in the world is in taichung near taichung harbor). There are oil fired plants to be used during peak hours only. Nuclear power figures hugely in Taiwan.

Plant One is near Tamsui, with two reactors, Plant TWO is near Chinshan with two , Plant THree is in Kenting area with two reactors. All of them Westinghouse boiling water reactors with ocean water cooling. They all have the common reactor domes (which the Japanese thought they wouldnt ever need).

The latest one, not yet operational is in KungLiao not far from Fulung. It is a FRamatome (French) boiling water design I believe. Two reactor units there IF I recall?

Massive protests have stalled that project. Many Taiwanese are mixed when it comes to nuclear power.

Taiwan is soo small that there is really no place to run if ever there was a problem like what is facing Japan.

Most of the coal is from Australia. The uranium fuel came from the USA, France, South Africa I believe. IN pellet in rod form processed and ready for reactor use. They cant be shipped together (for obvious reasons). The close proximity of enough of these rods is what creates the heat that a nuclear plant uses to drive steam generators that produce electricity.

I recently bumped into a file from the archives of our publication dating sometime in teh 80’s: they had plans for 26 nuclear reactors in the whole island.

heres some better info on taiwans plants.

world-nuclear.org/info/inf115_taiwan.html

The nuclear reactor that is still under construction is pretty advanced as it uses Advanced boiling water reactor which is gen III so not bad at all.

search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ … 317n4.html

Japan Times report that Taiwans 4th plant nearly completed at a cost of nearly ten billion US DOLLARS may be delayed yet again in view of Japan’s disaster. I say they should put that one online and shut down the two oldest plants with its 4 reactors. They must surely be more dangerous then the latest tech? Or is there something we dont know?

Thanks Tommy - I assumed the USA was involved somewhere, which might have something to do with the political influence they have (same with French military sales, perhaps). I didn’t know SA had the ability to enrich fuel and manufacture fuel rods - thought they were just uranium-ore exporters.

LOL … bearing in mind various threads about safety awareness in Taiwan (or lack of it) … I wonder if it’s really that obvious …

You should read some of the anecdotes about the Manhattan project … hair-raising carelessness with lumps of U235 and uranium hexafluoride …

Just a wee correction - the fourth plant is in Gongliao, Xinbei - not in Yilan. It’s pretty close to the easternmost point in Taiwan.

sipri.org/research/disarmame … an_default

some info on Taiwans nuclear programs, including the power generators. I guess most of the fuel comes from America these days as the article suggested.

nuclear power explained: THey sure are right about if an accident were to happen though:

darvill.clara.net/altenerg/nuclear.htm

And this suggested that TAiwans nuclear program and its rush to build six reactors in short order may NOT have been all power generation related:

gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nukevault/ebb221/index.htm

[quote=“tommy525”]http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20110317n4.html

Japan Times report that Taiwans 4th plant nearly completed at a cost of nearly ten billion US DOLLARS may be delayed yet again in view of Japan’s disaster. I say they should put that one online and shut down the two oldest plants with its 4 reactors. They must surely be more dangerous then the latest tech? Or is there something we dont know?[/quote]

Hmm, you may be onto something there…

I’d like to read this at leisure to see if I can really understand it. Though old, I think it says the plant in Jinshan is not in severe danger from quakes. Leave it here for your enjoyment, guys: iasmirt.org/iasmirt-3/SMiRT10/DC_250585

According to the Taipei Times, Tsai Ing-wen intends to shut down nuclear power in Taiwan if she gets elected to the presidency:

taipeitimes.com/News/front/archi … 2003499055

The article goes on to explain what Tsai would do if the nukes were shut down (more “renewable energy” plus importing more fossil fuels). The article also says that Tsai thinks that a public referendum on nuclear power is NOT necessary. I suspect this is because she thinks that such a referendum would not go her way.

I understand that the other declared DPP presidential candidate, Su Tseng-chang, was at the anti-nuke protest last week (Tsai didn’t attend, so up till now her position was unknown).

I guess it’s fair to say that the DPP has now committed itself to an anti-nuke platform. The difference with the KMT energy policy is pretty stark.

I know that the public is divided on the nuclear question, but overall I think this is a losing issue for the DPP. I could be wrong though - time will tell.

[quote=“Dog’s_Breakfast”]According to the Taipei Times, Tsai Ing-wen intends to shut down nuclear power in Taiwan if she gets elected to the presidency:

taipeitimes.com/News/front/archi … 2003499055

The article goes on to explain what Tsai would do if the nukes were shut down (more “renewable energy” plus importing more fossil fuels). The article also says that Tsai thinks that a public referendum on nuclear power is NOT necessary. I suspect this is because she thinks that such a referendum would not go her way.

I understand that the other declared DPP presidential candidate, Su Tseng-chang, was at the anti-nuke protest last week (Tsai didn’t attend, so up till now her position was unknown).

I guess it’s fair to say that the DPP has now committed itself to an anti-nuke platform. The difference with the KMT energy policy is pretty stark.

I know that the public is divided on the nuclear question, but overall I think this is a losing issue for the DPP. I could be wrong though - time will tell.[/quote]

I tend to agree with your assessment. Were we ready to go online with more renewables (which Taiwan has an immense potential for), I would be entirely for it. However, we aren’t ready yet and nuclear is the best option at the present time while the investment in infrastructure is put in place for the exploitation of wind, solar, geothermal, and tidal, all of which promise to be significant sources of energy in the future… just not yet…

[quote=“ludahai”]
I tend to agree with your assessment. Were we ready to go online with more renewables (which Taiwan has an immense potential for), I would be entirely for it. However, we aren’t ready yet and nuclear is the best option at the present time while the investment in infrastructure is put in place for the exploitation of wind, solar, geothermal, and tidal, all of which promise to be significant sources of energy in the future… just not yet…[/quote]

I’ve always been of the opinion that diversity is the best policy when it comes to energy policy. That is, not to put all of one’s eggs in one basket. So building nuclear power plants while simultaneously trying to exploit alternative energy methods (solar, wind, tidal, geothermal) is a good idea. If those alternative methods prove to be adequate and thus nuclear power is no longer unnecessary, only then would I suggest shutting down the nukes.

I feel that the DPP’s stated policy of “shut down the nukes now” would be disastrous. Chen Shuibian tried this, and the main result was to increase the cost of the #4 nuke plant by about US$2 billion, which means that much less money available for research and development of those alternative energy projects that Chen expected to implement (but never did). In our current reality, “shut down the nukes now” basically means building more coal and natural gas power plants, which are not exactly environmentally friendly.

I’d juts like to say that if Tokio has “issues” being 200kms away from the action, Taipei, at 20kms, is in real deep trouble.

Move them to some unhinhabited island as far from big population centers, at least, me thinks.

[quote=“Dog’s_Breakfast”][quote=“ludahai”]
I tend to agree with your assessment. Were we ready to go online with more renewables (which Taiwan has an immense potential for), I would be entirely for it. However, we aren’t ready yet and nuclear is the best option at the present time while the investment in infrastructure is put in place for the exploitation of wind, solar, geothermal, and tidal, all of which promise to be significant sources of energy in the future… just not yet…[/quote]

I’ve always been of the opinion that diversity is the best policy when it comes to energy policy. That is, not to put all of one’s eggs in one basket. So building nuclear power plants while simultaneously trying to exploit alternative energy methods (solar, wind, tidal, geothermal) is a good idea. If those alternative methods prove to be adequate and thus nuclear power is no longer unnecessary, only then would I suggest shutting down the nukes.

I feel that the DPP’s stated policy of “shut down the nukes now” would be disastrous. Chen Shuibian tried this, and the main result was to increase the cost of the #4 nuke plant by about US$2 billion, which means that much less money available for research and development of those alternative energy projects that Chen expected to implement (but never did). In our current reality, “shut down the nukes now” basically means building more coal and natural gas power plants, which are not exactly environmentally friendly.[/quote]

I have to agree with DB that the energy burden has to be spread out between technologies. I also want to point out that he isn’t just talking shit, on a personal level, I know that he has changed lights from T8 to T5 florescent, and LED. He has also purchased, at no worry for reimbursement, several solar panels. He has also been working on getting some DIY wind power equipment. :bravo: :bravo: Most people don’t realize, and I have to admit I didn’t either, that most of the oil consumption goes to providing electricity to your house, and that most of that goes to lighting!!
Go green on your lights, and you won’t have to feel guilty about your car! Walk the 2 blocks to 7-11!! Ride your bike!!
It all adds up.