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Nuclear Status Report - Taiwan

Explore the history, challenges, and uncertainties surrounding the nuclear status in Taiwan, from past secret programs to current issues with aging reactors and waste management. Learn about the country's stance on nuclear power and the potential risks and dilemmas it faces.

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Nuclear Status Report - Taiwan

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  1. Nuclear Status Report - Taiwan Mom Loves Taiwan Association Taiwan Environmental Protection Union National Taiwan University 徐光蓉 (Gloria Kuang-Jung HSU) 2017年2月23-24日 日本東京 Taiwan Nuclear Status 2017 HSU

  2. Outline • Past secret weapon program • Current status: nuclear power, nuclear waste • Challenges: nuclear free 2025, waste management (+ reprocessing) • Uncertainties: adequate electricity supply, safety and public trust (strengthen Taipower monopoly) Underline questions: waste management • Pure Energy Policy?responsibilities of descion-makers, NPP operators and consumers • Or Weapon development? • Transparency, accountability (domestic), international cooperation Taiwan Nuclear Status 2017 HSU

  3. Early Nuclear Program • 1963, Chiang Kai-Shek secretly invited Israeli Ernst Bergmann for advise. • 1964, military controlled Chung Shan Science Institute (CSSI) proposed. • Hsin Chu Project: heavy water reactor, heavy water and reprocessing plants. • Attempts to acquire equipments were blocked by US intervention. • July 1969 CSSI formally established, includes Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER). • 1969, Hsin Chu Project aborted. • Consider civilian nuclear power generation (camouflage?). Move INER under Atomic Energy Council (AEC). Started secret Tao Yuan program. • Acquisition of spent fuel reprocessing facility from UHDE blocked by US • Sept. 1976 , Premier Chiang Ching-Kuo declared ROC had no intention to develop nuclear weapon. (wrt US request) • Jan. 12, 1988 Deputy director of INER, Chang Hsien-Yi defected to US, arranged by CIA. US team came, demolished all weapon-related facilities in INER. • Jan 13, 1988 Chiang Ching-Kuo died.

  4. INER possessed a 40-MWth Taiwan Research Reactor (TRR), supplied by Canada in 1969 • 1985, US convinced Taiwan to send the spent fuel from TRR to the USA. • 1991, an US Federal Court blocked the last shipment of 118 fuel rods until officials detail the environmental risk. • The TRR operated for about 14 years and discharged about 1600 fuel rods, containing plutonium with more than 90 per cent 239Pu, the vast bulk of the plutonium was weapon-grade. • US received about 78 kg of plutonium in spent fuel from the TRR, separated about 63 kg. • TRR produced a total of about 85 kg of high-quality plutonium. • Of the 118 rods which remain in Taiwan, contain about 6 kg of plutonium containing over 90 per cent plutonium-239, enough for one nuclear weapon. • Heavy water were extracted by the US team in early 1988. -- Nuclear weapon program ended. -- Mainly military in control. Taiwan Nuclear Status 2017 HSU

  5. Current status Existing problems: I. Aging reactors: next to active faults, close to capital II. (NPP4 controversy -- almost end) III. But operator seeks all possibilities to keep NPPs running IV. Poor waste management: (radioactive apartments), LLW in LanYu, HLW projects V. Lenient Regulator: stress test VI. Uncertain Future: nuke free by 2025 law passed without preparation, lack of adequate nuclear waste management VI. Challenges: spent fuels, nuclear power plants retirement Taiwan Nuclear Status 2017 HSU

  6. I. Aging Reactors Taiwan Nuclear Status 2017 HSU

  7. Distances from active seismic faults, 7km (NPP1), 5km (NPP2), and inside NPP3 NPP1 Wrong Locations NPP2 NPP3 Taiwan Nuclear Status 2017 HSU

  8. NPP4 - A lengthy controversy 1978, initiated; two reactors, 1000MW each 1982 & 1985 postponed twice; due to lack of electricity demand + TMI accident 1986 Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) formed with anti-nuclear party guideline. 1990 NPP4 revive; change to 1300 MW*2 Constant fights between KMT and DPP members over budget and regulations. May 2000, Chen, Shui-Bian of DPP became President, terminated NPP4 on Oct. 2000. Feb. 2001, NPP4 resumed under pressure. Construction began. Afterwards: no politicians spoke against nuclear. DPP heavyweights became indifferent. Media: side with pro-nuke Antinuclear were deemed ‘out-of-fashion’, environmentalists voice diminishing. - Real work did not start then, few targets for opponents

  9. Situation began change … NPP4 Construction mischief growing (leaked information) > 1450 Design alternations, use inferior materials, questionable containment, poor management (rodents),… Fukushima nuclear disaster – Remind Taiwanese: we have nearly identical reactors, share similar seismic vulnerability as Japan. But, Japanese are more prudent and more advanced in nuclear technology. We definitely fare worse if similar accident occurred in Taiwan. Annual antinuclear rally joined by all walks of live Youth Unrest - Death of a mandatory military serviceman, 2 days before his discharge. The Defense Ministry dodged requests for investigation repeatedly. (July 2013) KMT Legislator tried to pass a controversial trade deal with China in 30 seconds. (Mar 2014) Youth occupied the Legislative Chamber for 23 days. – Sunflower Movement Hunger strike by Lin, Yi-Hsiung (Apr 2014)

  10. NPP4 halt • April 2014, President Ma agreed to seal off unit 1 of NPP4, pending future referendum. • Unit 2 shut immediately. Taiwan Nuclear Status 2017 HSU

  11. Current Administration • Tsai, Ing-Wen of DPP won presidential election in 2016. • Article 95 of the amendment of Electricity Act states “all nuclear power generation facilities shall stop operating by 2025”. (Jan 2017) • Nuclear waste issue? • But known to be “afraid of electricity shortage”. Taiwan Nuclear Status 2017 HSU

  12. II. LLW in Orchid Island 1978 construction began, as fish cannery. Operating started in May 1982. Stopped by aboriginal Taos, April 1996. Early 1995, 〜1/3 barrels showed clear signs of rusting. Taipower promised all LLW in Orchid Island will be removed by 2002 – contingent promise to win NPP4 EIA permit July 2001, Taipower submitted revised EIA, remove the condition. 2002 President Chen promised Taos removing all LLW during his terms. Failed. Search for LLW permanent sites: Hsiao Chiu; Orchid Island (?), DaZen, and PenHu; North Korea, Solomon Islands, Marshall Island, China – nothing materialize 2006 “The LLW Permanent Site Act” requires a permanent LLW site being identified by 2011 – nothing in sight -- Promises repeatedly broken 12 Taiwan Nuclear Status 2017 HSU

  13. LLW rusting Re-packaging started in 2008, was poorly handled. 鄭麗君委員辦公室提供

  14. LLW not all ‘low’ Unit is in mSv/h A half-day exposure exceeds nuke worker annual allowance. Ref. 苦勞網 Taiwan Nuclear Status 2017 HSU

  15. Spent Fuels 原能會網站

  16. AEC Plan for HLW • Interim dry cask storage, (reprocessing), and final geological disposal • Dry cask contract won by INER, division under AEC – conflict of interest? 2006 Final Disposal Plan: (1) 2005-2017,「Ground Characteristic Survey and Assessment of Potential Final Disposal Sites」；(13 Yrs) (2) 2018-2028,「Evaluation & Identification of Candidate Sites」；(11 Yrs) (3) 2029-2038,「Detailed Sites Surveys and Tests」；(10 Yrs) – select Final Site by 2039 (4) 2039-2044,「Design and Safety Evaluation of Final Disposal Site」；(6 Yrs) (5) 2045-2055,「Construction of Final Disposal Site」; (11 Yrs) • Accepting HLW disposal begins 2055. • -- Does everything proceed as planned? Draft law proposing “A Designated Facility” takes over all HLW issues from Taipower -- site selection, HLW waste management, …, by a handful experts, fund by official budget without reporting to Legislators – Rationales and Acceptance of such law

  17. Dry casks • Taipower: 2 thermometers per cask and 2 radiation monitors for the whole field are enough to monitor cask safety over 40 years. • Cask’ performances entirely depend on computer simulations. • No backup plan Cement seepage • AEC granted permission. • Land and Water Conservation License hold by New Taipei City Government since 2013. • Taped broken edge 17 Taiwan Nuclear Status 2017 HSU

  18. Reprocessing Past US-Taiwan Section 123 agreements, prohibit Taiwan from operating sensitive nuclear facilities and from any activities involving sensitive nuclear technologies. Jan. 6, 2014, agreement was renewed, for the first time, allows irradiated source material or special fissionable material to be transferred to France, or other countries or destinations for storage and reprocessing. June 22, 2014 agreement enter into force. Feb. 17, 2015, Taipower announced a tender invitation for reprocessing, total 1200 bundles of SNF from NPP1 and NPP2, on the last working day before the Lunar New Year holiday, fully aware that no budget was allocated for this project. Taipower’s behaviour met outright objections from both sides of the Legislative Yuan. A legislative resolution forbids tender soliciting unless a reprocessing budget passes the review. However, a tender request for reprocessing project bids remained on the public procurement site with a due date of April 9, 2015. Only after a mounting public uproar did Taipower and the Ministry of Economic Affairs retract the announcement on April 1, 2015. Blocked, up to now. -- Reprocessing SNF is used for reactor lifetime extension. Taiwan Nuclear Status 2017 HSU

  19. IV. Lenient Regulator • End of 2012, European commission agreed to proceed the Taiwan Stress Test.Experts visited the sites on September 2013. • Taiwan Atomic Energy Council prepared the National Report. • In the National Report, key information are distorted: • Lengths of faults provided are shorter than already known • Distances between NPPs and faults are missing. Shanchiao fault cut between NPP1 (7km) and NPP2 (5km). Hengchun fault extends inside NPP3. 19 Taiwan Nuclear Status 2017 HSU

  20. Aggressive Operator Jan 2016, 2 days after Tsai won Presidency, Taipower shifted its future power projection to little risk if Taiwan becomes nuclear free. Mar 2016, Taipower Chair Huang vehemently denied Taipower ever made such U-turn.Instead, he will not guarantee electricity supply without nuclear power. Started in May 2016, Taipower began warning on power shortage. As a result, Premier Lin tried to restart the troublesome unit 1 of Chin San NPP (NPP1) to fill the electricity gap. He retracted his words next day. Even in Feburary, Taipower still issue warnings. Campaign tactic for NPPs? Nuclear power – political or technical issue? Taiwan Nuclear Status 2017 HSU

  21. Overall Installed capacity of 48.91GW Wind + Solar <1.4 GW (Oct. 2016) Rest are fossil, nuclear plants and CHPs Peak demand <36 GW (2016) Tight Supply, real? Taipower Web

  22. If no replacement for nuclear … Nuclear contributes 15-17% of total electricity. President Tsai aims at 20% renewable electricity by 2025. (to fill the gap of closing all NPPs) Renewable Energy Act began 2010. % electricity generated by wind + solar PV are: 0.43 (2010), 0.62 (2011), 0.63(2012), 0.78(2013), 0.79(2014), 0.93 (2015) and 0.90 (Oct 2016). In ～7 years! Small hydro + waste contributes ～ 3% electricity. 9 years remain to boost REN to 20%! Possible? Art. 27, revised Electricity Bill requires “All power producers and vendors shall have reserve capacities.“ Being heavily criticized as move to suppress REN. “REN below certain capacities are exempt” was added at last minute. Nuclear free by 2025!?

  23. Uncertainties: • March 1, 2016, DPP Legislator Huang (黃國書) demanded retracting of NPP retirement program before May 20. – no retirement ~ lifetime extension? • March 10, 2016, DPP Legislator Chen (陳歐珀) accused New Taipei City Mayor Chu (KMT) for delaying dry casks project. • March 12, 2016, DPP minister-to-be Mr. Chang (張景森) accused Major Chu for delaying dry casks program in facebook. Mayor Chu will be held responsible for possible blackout in the future. • Last May, Premier Lin attempted restarting the problematic unit 1 of Chin San NPP (NPP1), in response to Taipower ‘electricity shortage’ warning. • … • Concerted actions or individual misfire? • What are the alternatives, if REN not gaining the pace? Taiwan Nuclear Status 2017 HSU

  24. Challenges • Waste management: LLW and HLW – Promises and schedules do not translate to reality automatically. • Needs thorough social dialogue – find out agreeable solutions • Decide how much nuclear waste we can (or have to) handle • The cost • Not leaving unsolved problems to future generation • Questions: how to coerce officials to change practice?

  25. Reflections on nuclear waste management • Who are responsible? Producers, consumers, or does not matter • Utilities. Little incentive to shoulder responsibility. – for not making money, or not (want to pay to) having expertise. Perhaps only does what law requires. • Third party. Separate utilities from waste management. If works well, fine. If fails, … return to utilities or else? • Government responsibility? Tax-payers’ responsibility – any voices in decision making? • How to ensure the responsible parties do jobproperly? Taiwan Nuclear Status 2017 HSU

  26. Our Future Tasks • Rights to know -- due to dire consequences of HLW, NPP4 issue • Demand Transparency in information and decision-making • Clarify nuclear an energy or defense issue • Make authorities be accountable • Pledge supports and collaborations for each other – efficient use of meager resources (vs. government) Taiwan Nuclear Status 2017 HSU

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