A referendum pushing for the reopening of Taiwan’s last nuclear plant - the Maanshan power plant - has fallen short of reaching the legal threshold to be valid despite Taiwanese voters favouring a return to nuclear power by an almost 3:1 margin.
The vote, proposed by the small Taiwan People’s Party earlier this year with the backing of the much larger Kuomintang (KMT), and backed by the opposition, asked whether the Maanshan power plant should be reopened after confirmation that there were no safety issues.
4.3 million people voted in favour of the plant’s reopening while 1.5 million voted against it, according to figures from the Central Election Commission. But the motion needed the backing of 25% of the eligible voters, or about 5 million votes, to be passed under Taiwanese electoral law - meaning the plant on Taiwan’s southern tip will not reopen.
Taiwan once operated three nuclear power plants which provided about 20% of the self-governing island’s electricity.
Maanshan's two reactors were commissioned in 1984 and 1985, respectively. The first reactor was shut down in 2024 upon expiration of its license with the second, and final reactor, shut earlier in May. This was done in line with the Taiwanese government’s policy of phasing out nuclear power as it shifts to renewables and liquefied natural gas.
The government, under the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, believes there are major safety concerns around generating nuclear power in the earthquake-prone nation. Additionally, they are wary of handling the resultant nuclear waste.
Following the results of the referendum, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te announced that his government respected the results. However he added that the island could return to the technology in the future if safety standards improved.
Speaking to reporters, Ching-te declared that according to the amended Nuclear Reactor Facilities Regulation Act there are two essential steps to be taken before the nuclear power plant is reactivated.
The first being a framework on how to proceed safely by the Nuclear Safety Commission, and secondly the Taiwan Power Company must follow the framework to perform the necessary checks itself.
Backers of nuclear power say it reduces electricity bills and helps meet the growing demand for power from artificial intelligence applications.
