Taiwan shuts down last nuclear reactor

Taiwan has begun shutting down its last remaining active nuclear reactor, officially saying goodbye to nuclear energy . Reactor No. 2 at the 951-megawatt Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant in southern Taiwan is scheduled to be completely shut down by midnight (local time) at the latest, after its 40-year operating license had already expired. This was announced by the state-owned energy company Taipower.

Fukushima was the deciding factor

With this move, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is fulfilling a central promise of its 2016 energy plan, which called for a nuclear phase-out by 2025 at the latest. The main reason for this was the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan, in 2011. "This sends a strong message not only to other Asian countries like Japan and Korea, but also to the rest of the world that nuclear power is unnecessary," said Jusen Asuka, professor of Northeast Asian studies at Tohoku University in Japan.

The decommissioning of two of Taiwan's older nuclear power plants began in 2018 and 2021, with the first reactor at Maanshan following in July 2024. At peak times, nuclear power supplied around 50 percent of Taiwan's electricity; by 2024, the share had fallen to only around three percent. According to Taipower, around 82 percent of Taiwan's electricity came from fossil fuels last year, and nearly twelve percent from renewable energy.

There is enough electricity - assures the Prime Minister

Prime Minister Cho Jung-tai assured that the power supply is secure despite growing demand, for example from the semiconductor industry and applications in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). While the reserve buffer will decrease somewhat due to the shutdown, it remains above the safety-relevant thresholds.

Cho also reiterated the goal of increasing the share of renewable energy in the electricity mix to 20 percent by 2026. A Taipower spokesperson announced that four new gas-fired power plants would be commissioned this year.

In the run-up to the reactor shutdown, critics expressed doubts about whether Taiwan's growing energy needs could truly be met in the long term without nuclear power . Also, given the tensions with China , some experts believe greater energy independence through multiple forms of power generation is necessary.

The Chinese leadership considers the democratically governed island, with its population of some 23 million, to be part of its territory and does not rule out unification, even by force if necessary. The United States is one of Taiwan's most important allies.

haz/wa (dpa, afp)