A new chapter has opened in what has become one of the most emotionally charged issues in Taiwan: the building of a fourth nuclear power plant. Launched in 1982, construction on the plant was halted in 1984 due to stiff opposition from environmentalists and residents living near the site. But the project was revived last June when the budgetary committee of the Legislative Yuan passed a resolution re leasing NT$8 billion (US$316 million) to construct the first phase of the project. Funding had been frozen since 1986.
The move came after an ambitious three-year campaign by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) to gain public support. With the flashing of the green light, government-run Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) plans to resume construction in mid-1993. The NT$174 billion (US$6.8 billion) project, which includes two generators with a combined capacity of 2 million kilowatts, is slated for completion in 2001.
Residents of nearby Kungliao, a village along the northeast coast, have protested against the plant since its inception, charging that it threatens the town's promising tourism industry and its chief livelihood, fishing. Meanwhile, environmentalists have launched a campaign to stop the project, arguing that it is dangerous and unnecessary. The most active group has been the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union, a 1,000-member group led largely by university professors. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Taiwan's main opposition party, has strongly supported the cause as well. You Ching (尤清), a DPP member and magistrate of Taipei county, which includes Kungliao, is a staunch opponent of the plant. At one point, You threatened to summon the county militia to dismantle existing construction at the plant site.
Environmentalists and Kungliao residents have repeatedly joined forces in opposing the project over the past decade. In May 1991, the two groups brought six thousand anti-nuclear demonstrators to Taipei. Protests came to a head in October 1991 when a demonstration near Kungliao erupted in violence. Fighting broke out when one protester drove a car into a group of policemen who were overseeing the dismantling of a makeshift camp set up by demonstrators. One policeman was killed and eighteen people were injured. Demonstrations have remained low-key since the well-publicized incident. Three thousand activists gathered in Taipei on the sixth anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident last April, but the protest ended peacefully.
Environmentalists argue that no matter how slim the chance, a nuclear accident could devastate the island's environment and endanger residents. After all, Taiwan is a small island and metropolitan Taipei lies only forty kilometers from the site. Many opponents also question Taipower's ability to manage nuclear power plants, pointing out that in recent years the three existing nuclear power generators have frequently "tripped," or shut down temporarily, due to minor operating problems. These temporary shut- downs account for 90 percent of local power outages. Increasing dependence on nuclear power, environmentalists argue, will only make the economy and society more vulnerable to such incidents. Furthermore, no danger-free method of nuclear waste disposal has yet been developed worldwide.
Opponents of the plant point out that some Western countries have recently curbed or halted use of nuclear power because of potential dangers. Sweden is phasing out generation of nuclear power, for example, and the United States has suspended operations and halted construction on numerous plants for environmental or economic reasons.
While government officials argue that a new nuclear power plant is needed because current energy sources are in adequate, environmentalists claim Taiwan's power needs could be met through conservation. Since power shortages only occur during peak-use periods in the summer, some suggest that Taipower charge more for electricity during these months, encouraging conservation. They argue that building more power plants would encourage wasteful consumption and promote the development of electricity-consuming industries, thereby perpetuating the problem of power shortages.
Existing energy sources could also be used more efficiently, nuclear opponents claim. According to the Council for Economic Planning and Development, 0.58 kilowatt-hour of electricity is used to produce US$1 of gross domestic product in Taiwan, while only 0.22 kilowatt-hour is needed in Japan. In addition, local manufacturers should explore other alternatives to nuclear energy such as steam electricity generated by factories. Fifty local factories have already installed such systems and are producing a combined capacity of more than 1 million kilowatts.
Environmentalists also point out that the price difference between nuclear and other forms of energy has narrowed substantially over the past decade. The cost of nuclear energy has increased at an annual rate of 6 percent over the past decade, largely due to stringent new maintenance and safety requirements developed since the 1979 Three Mile Island incident. Meanwhile, the cost of many other energy sources were trimmed during the 1980s. In addition, nuclear power generation requires costly storage and disposal of nuclear waste. After about forty years, the equipment and facilities of a nuclear plant becomes so radioactive that the plant can no longer be safely operated and must be "decommissioned," isolated from the ecosystem for many thousands of years by being buried or encased in concrete.
The government's main argument for the fourth nuclear power plant has been that current power supplies are inadequate. When the Executive Yuan shelved the project in 1984, the danger of power shortages was fairly low; Taiwan had the capacity to produce 50 percent more power than the amount needed during peak demand. But the power supply tightened in the late 1980s when consumption began rising at a rate of 1 million kilowatts per year. The power capacity fell to 35 percent above the peak use level in 1987, then plunged to 4.8 percent above by 1991, resulting in fourteen power outages islandwide that summer. Current reserves give the island an 8.6 percent margin, thanks to the completion of several thermal and hydroelectric facilities, but Taiwan's energy supply is still too low to protect the island against power outages. In addition, MOEA projects that electricity consumption will grow at an annual rate of 6 to 7 percent through the 1990s.
The government began promoting the new power plant again in 1989, stressing that inadequate electricity supplies pose a threat to the public welfare and to the stability of local industries. The campaign was stepped up after the 1990 Persian Gulf crisis. The fourth nuclear power plant is part of a Taipower plan to double local power generation to 40 million kilowatts by 2001. Under the scheme, 2 million kilowatts will come from the fourth nuclear power plant, 2.2 million from hydroelectric power, and 15.8 million from thermal power.
Taipower argues that nuclear fuel is more reliable and abundant than other energy sources. The company reports that worldwide reserves of nuclear fuel can last 100 years, while coal reserves can last 200 years, 57 years for natural gas, and 32 years for oil. The island now imports 95 percent of its power supply, mainly in oil and coal, creating a heavy dependence on international oil markets. Shifting to nuclear power offers a more secure power supply, according to Taipower, because the majority of nuclear fuel deposits are located in developed nations, while major oil sources are located in politically unstable regions.
Nuclear power is also cheaper and cleaner than other sources, according to Taipower. The cost of generating 1 kilowatt-hour of nuclear power averages 5.7 cents, compared with 6.7 cents using coal, 7 cents from fuel-oil, and 8.7 cents from natural gas. Even when the cost of waste disposal is taken into account, Taipower claims that nuclear fuel remains the cheapest source of energy. Also, thermal energy has been criticized by environmentalists for producing harmful emissions of chlorofluorocarbons and carbon dioxide.
To strengthen the legitimacy of the project, MOEA undertook a second feasibility study in 1990-1991. The report deemed the project "necessary" and "urgent." The Atomic Energy Council also conducted an environmental impact study, which approved the safety of the project. Council officials stress that Taipower will install the most advanced facilities for the fourth nuclear power plant and point out that the annual number of tripping incidents at the three existing nuclear reactors has fallen from 3 in 1990 to 1.83 in 1991—a rate below the world average.
Addressing the problem of nuclear waste disposal, Taipower is now seeking a long-term storage site for the high-level radioactive nuclear waste now stored in the water tanks of the existing nuclear power plants. These plants have storage capacities of eight, thirteen, and thirty-three years. The company is considering transferring the waste to France or main land China for final disposal. A permanent site for the low- and medium-level waste now being stored on Orchid Island is to be established by 2001, but a site has not yet been chosen.
Furthermore, nuclear power has gained acceptance internationally, officials argue. Worldwide, 431 nuclear power generators now operate in twenty- five countries, 71 are under construction, and 61 are in the planning stages. Several countries are increasing their reliance on nuclear power. France now supplies 75 percent of its energy needs through nuclear power and the level is expected to increase to 85 percent. Nuclear power supplies one-fourth of the energy needs of Japan, and plans are under way to build one additional generator annually for the next twenty years, thereby boosting the level to 40 percent by 2001. In contrast, Taiwan now receives 27.5 percent of its energy from nuclear power, and the amount is slated to be reduced. Under Taipower's plan to construct new facilities, even with the new plant, nuclear power would supply only 18 percent of Taiwan's electricity needs.
To win support from Kungliao residents, Taipower has agreed to allocate NT$1.73 billion (US$68 million) to the town government during the construction period plus 0.5 percent of the plant's annual revenue, estimated at NT$152 million (US$6 million), after it begins operation. These funds are to be used for construction of highways, parks, recreational centers, health centers, and educational facilities, as well as to assist the development of local agriculture and fishing industries. To further safe guard the project, the Executive Yuan has reiterated its determination to crack down on any illegal means used to stall construction.
The future of the plant is far from settled. After the June decision to release funding for the plant, DPP legislators charged that the KMT deliberately bypassed a major debate at the general assembly of the Legislative Yuan and left the decision of a critical issue to the few legislators in the budgetary committee, many of whom had limited knowledge of nuclear power. Such attacks can be expected to continue since the project's budget must be approved by the Legislative Yuan each year, giving nuclear opponents and DPP legislators ample opportunities to protest.
Despite the government's move to release the budget, environmentalists remain adamant in their opposition. Reports Liu Chi-cheng (劉志成), chairman of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union, "We are optimistic about stalling the project. Anti-nuclear forces are gaining momentum on both domestic and foreign fronts. There are already many cases abroad in which nuclear power plants are converted to other uses before completion or are even abandoned after completion." He points to the proposed US$8 billion nuclear power plant at Shoreham, near New York City. New Yorkers strongly opposed the project due to its proximity to the city. Faced with public opposition and financial difficulties, the power company recently sold the project to the state of New York. It is now being dismantled.
"In the short-term, we will endorse anti-nuclear candidates in the year-end election for the Legislative Yuan," Liu says. "In the long-term, we will intensify efforts to educate the public. We are confident that we can win this fight".
Meanwhile, Kungliao residents have adopted a cautious wait-and-see altitude. Town chief Wu Ching-tung (吳清同), though hesitant to speak at all on the position of the local population, expects that residents will shy away from violent protests while waiting for more details about the compensation package. "It seems that it has become an established fact," Wu says. "Although townspeople are still dissatisfied with the project, it seems they have no choice but to accept it" - Philip Liu (劉柏登) is editor-in-chief of Business Taiwan, an English-language weekly published in Taipei. ▪