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| Fig. 1: Taiwan Nuclear Energy Consumption between 2011 and 2021. |
Taiwan has undergone significant changes in its energy sectors in recent years. The public attitude toward nuclear energy has shifted drastically since the Fukushima Nuclear Plant disaster and understanding of risks to nuclear energy infrastructure. In the past decade Taiwan has reduced its nuclear energy consumption by more than 37%. Between 2011 and 2021 Taiwan's consumption of nuclear energy has decreased from 0.4 exajoules in 2011 to 0.25 exajoules in 2021. (See Table 1, Fig. 1.) The plants that remain operational include a number of which were constructed in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This means that much of the existing nuclear energy infrastructure is aging and more vulnerable to accidents. In 2020 nuclear energy accounted for only 11.21% of total electric energy generation. In 2021 it accounted for only 9.56% of total electric energy generation. This is a drastic difference from the 20.7% of total electricity generation that nuclear energy accounted for in 2009.
Since the Fukushima disaster in 2011, public opinion against nuclear energy has grown and many factors including geopolitical risks of attack on nuclear facilities, limitations on space for construction of power plants, and risk of earthquakes has magnified these sentiments. This shift in opinion is evident in the popularity of public policy in favor of a nuclear-free homeland and in surveys of of the Taiwanese public.
When investigating the attitudes towards nuclear energy in Taiwan even before the 2000s it is evident that many Taiwanese saw nuclear as an opportunity to strengthen the security and self-sufficiency of the nation. Opinion polls performed by Taipower indicated that close to 60 percent of interviewees were in support of nuclear power. Shortly after the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that affected central Taiwan in late September 1999, approval for nuclear power jumped nearly 10 percent. [1] This possibly indicates recognition by Taiwanese citizens of current insufficiencies in their power generation systems, as revealed by this national disaster, and the belief that nuclear power can offer a solution to these issues. Interestingly, we can see similar transformations in attitude of Taiwanese citizens towards nuclear energy when given reassurances about the energy benefits and safety. In a 2014 study based on questions about the Lungmen Nuclear Power Plant in a 2013 Taiwan Election and Democratization Study, it is evident that public opinion can quickly shift in favor of nuclear energy when contextualized with its economic importance and the increased energy costs associated with its non renewable alternatives. [2] Another paper published in 2014 suggests that authorities in Taiwan should address psychological variables like trust and risk or reward from nuclear energy projects rather than increasing the information load presented to people in order to gain more support for nuclear energy. [3] Communicating with the Taiwanese public in a way that effectively addresses their psychological concerns can allow officials get approval for reopening nuclear plants and increasing nuclear energy output, thus avoiding the inevitable energy and economic disaster that comes with the phasing out of nuclear energy.
Considering the country's geographical limitations, the primary issue of nuclear energy in Taiwan is the storage of spent fuel. Spent fuel must be stored in sites that minimize radiation risks to the public and environment. National security must also be considered in the selection of sites since attacks on stored spent fuel could pose serious threats to the country and many have expressed concern that Taiwan Power still keeps many old fuel assemblies in above ground storage, making them particularly vulnerable to attack from bad actors. [4]
The plausibility of immediately shutting down all nuclear power plants has previously been explored and it was determined that not only is it infeasible but if it were attempted it would lead to significant energy shortages and significant increases in carbon emissions which could possibly affect willingness of other nations to engage with Taiwan in trade. Additionally Taiwan would be forced to look to other nations for import of non-renewable energy sources. While Taiwan aims to undergo a seamless transition from nuclear energy through its Framework for Sustainable Energy Policy, the country is constrained by both its limited land space for renewable energy projects and its insufficient natural resources. [5] Consequently it will be incapable of simultaneously achieving its rigorous renewable energy goals while prioritizing GDP growth and energy efficiency and stability. To maintain energy security and work towards energy independence, Taiwan must transition from talks of supplementation of nuclear energy to discussions of what nuclear energy, in combination with smaller renewable energy projects, can continue to offer the country.
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| Table 1: Taiwan Nuclear Energy Consumption between 2011 and 2021. [6] |
© Jawad Ibrahim. The author warrants that the work is the author's own and that Stanford University provided no input other than typesetting and referencing guidelines. The author grants permission to copy, distribute and display this work in unaltered form, with attribution to the author, for noncommercial purposes only. All other rights, including commercial rights, are reserved to the author.
[1] S.-H. Yu and K.-L. Hwang, "Nuclear Power Development and Public Acceptance in Taiwan," in ENS PIME 2000, European Nuclear Society, 13 Feb 00, p. 80.
[2] X. Su et al., "The Rationale For Supporting Nuclear Power: Analysis of Taiwanese Public Opinion Survey," Int. Relat. Asia-Pac. 15, 147 (2014).
[3] Y.-H. Lee and C.-C. Wang, "An Evaluation of Public Attitude toward Nuclear Power after Fukushima Accident: Evidence from Taiwan," Asian J. Humanit. Soc. Stud. 2, 323 (2014).
[4] J. Choi, "Taiwan's Spent Nuclear Fuel: A Burden in a Potential Taiwan Strait Conflict," Pacific Forum, 1 Sep 23.
[5] S.-I. Chang, "An Overview of Energy Policy and Usage in Taiwan," in Taiwan's Energy Conundrum, ed. by B. Wakefield, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, May 2012.
[6] "BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2022," Britsh Petroleum, June 2022.