DPP rejects proposal from Taiwan business leader to extend life of nuclear plants

民進黨否絕台灣商界領袖核電廠延役的提議

Wistron chair proposes pressurized water reactor


TAIPEI (Taiwan News - Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators on Tuesday (May 7) rejected a proposal by Wistron Corporation Chair T.C. Tung (童子賢) to extend the life of two nuclear power plants to cut the cost of electricity.

Tung has been known as a DPP supporter, serving as vice chair of the New Frontier Foundation headed by President-elect Lai Ching-te (賴清德). The DPP leader reportedly considered appointing Tung as premier, though former party leader Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) was designated to head the Cabinet starting May 20.

In a recent interview, Tung said Taiwan’s second and third nuclear plants should continue to operate, and the site of the fourth plant, which was never used, should be converted to a pressurized water reactor modeled on the OL3 nuclear plant in Finland. The business leader’s suggestions went against the official DPP policy to turn Taiwan into a nuclear-free homeland next year.

Commenting on Tung’s ideas, lawmakers from the ruling party rejected the theory that Tung was trying to pave the way for a U-turn by the government on nuclear policies. DPP legislators said the country’s nuclear policy could not be decided by one person, per Radio Taiwan International (RTI).

They emphasized the importance of reaching a social consensus on nuclear safety and finding a safe way to dispose of nuclear waste.

Tung defended his ideas by saying that if nuclear power supplied 30% to 32% of energy, it could cut the cost of electricity by 30% and help the government achieve its carbon-free target in 2050, per CNA.

The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) has been campaigning for legal amendments allowing nuclear power plants to continue functioning beyond 2025, while environmental activists have protested against the proposals. Government officials dismissed the claim that the phasing out of nuclear energy would lead to more serious power outages.