Taiwan moves to shut last nuclear reactor amid shift to gas, renewables

Taiwan took steps to shut its final nuclear reactor May 17 on the expiration of its 40-year operating license, as the island transitions toward natural gas-fired generation and renewable energy.

The load-shedding at Taiwan's No. 3 nuclear plant began at 13:00 local time, with disconnection planned for 22:00 and closure at midnight, the state utility Taiwan Power Company said in a statement.

It added that the last reactor at the Maanshan nuclear plant supplied some 3% of the country's total power generation.

The shutdown follows the decommissioning of other nuclear units in recent years, alongside the retirement of older coal-fired power plants.

The last reactor, which began operations on May 18, 1985, generated approximately 274.16 billion kWh of electricity during its four decades in operation, Taipower said.

It comes as Taiwanese lawmakers are discussing whether to retain nuclear power plants as part of the island's energy mix. A revised law last week paves the way for shuttered reactors to be handed 20-year licenses, although analysts caution that any restarts would take years to pull off.

Energy security is a hot-button issue in Taiwan, which has huge domestic demand from some of the world's biggest semiconductor manufacturers and fears a potential military incursion in China, which claims Taiwan is part of its territory. But the island is also seeking to accelerate its transition to less carbon-intensive energy sources.

Currently the island relies on imported LNG to meet its energy needs, while Taipower plans to add almost five GW of gas-fired capacity to the grid this year, equal to roughly five nuclear reactors.

The state firm will also add 3.5 GW from wind and solar, the state company said May 17.

The island imported around 21.13 million mt of LNG last year, according to the Taiwan Energy Administration.

Since 2017, several gas-fired power plants, including Datan, Taichung and Xingda, have seen renewal and reconstruction efforts, prioritizing low-carbon solutions.

Taiwan is also deploying grid-management solutions to ensure reliable electricity supply while reducing carbon emissions, according to its government.