Taiwan began to mothball its controversial fourth nuclear power plant on July 1, a process that will allow it to be activated at any time in the future.
President Ma Ying-jeou made the comments in a TV interview aired Friday. He said the nuclear power plant in suburban Taipei could be reopened after a few adjustments are made if it was decided that the facility should enter operation in the future.
Ma said that the plant was being mothballed because of a strong wave of anti-nuclear voices. However, Ma said he was convinced that the public would gradually discover that nuclear energy could not be quickly replaced by renewable energy. He also said that coal and natural gas could be used as substitutes for nuclear power, but warned that the additional carbon emissions generated could have serious consequences.
Taiwan currently has three nuclear power plants in operation. They provide approximately 20% of the nation’s domestic energy output. Public opinion turned strongly against nuclear energy after Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster. Many Taiwanese fear that the same could happen to earthquake-prone Taiwan. A series of accidents during tests in the controversial fourth nuclear power plant have also heightened concerns about its safety.