Photo. Elektrownia jądrowa Maanshan / Wikimedia Commons, aut. Sgroey
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Despite the global renaissance of nuclear energy, on the 18th of May this year, Taiwan shut down its last nuclear reactor, ending more than half a century history of its nuclear power. This move, while by no means sudden, has raised questions about the island’s energy security, especially in light of China’s increasingly aggressive rhetoric.
On Sunday, on the 18th of May, reactor No. 2 of the Maanshan nuclear power plant, located in the southern county of Pingdong, was disconnected from the national power grid and shut down, ending 40 years of operation. According to the state-owned Taiwan Power Company (Taipower), since 1985 the plant has produced approximately 274 billion kWh of energy, and the installed capacity of the unit covered about 3% of the island’s energy needs.
Maanshan – the last one standing
According to Taipower, alternative solutions will compensate for the costs of shutting down Maanshan, and new gas-fired units (approx. 5 GW) as well as wind and solar power plants (a total of 3.5 GW) will be added to the island’s energy mix to ensure stability of supply and grid security.
The shutdown of Maanshan was not only in line with the plan to terminate its operating license (which expired on May 17, 2025), but also with the wishes of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), whose anti-nuclear movement was a significant part of its platform. The day after the plant was shut down, the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union (TEPU) organized a rally in front of Taipower’s headquarters where – together with other environmental organizations – it celebrated the realization of the much-publicized slogan “a nuclear-free homeland.”
Despite years of announcements about the withdrawal of nuclear power from Taiwan’s energy mix, the closure of the last operating power plant was widely reported in the domestic and foreign media. The most frequently raised issues were safety, greenhouse gas emissions, and finances. However, pro-nuclear activists have not yet had their final say. On the 13th of May, the parliament (Legislative Yuan) passed amendments to the Nuclear Power Plant Regulation Act, allowing operators to apply for a 20-year license renewal and easing restrictions on the restart of power plants.
Meanwhile, the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) has submitted a request for a referendum on the resumption of Maanshan’s operations, provided that the plant is deemed safe. The Central Election Commission (CEC) approved the request and set the date for the referendum for August 23.
“The latest public opinion polls show that among Taiwanese over the age of 20, 45% believe that a nuclear-free homeland is a goal worth pursuing,” notes the environmental and anti-nuclear organization Green Citizens Action Alliance (GCAA). According to GCAA representatives, this sends a “clear message” that supporters of a nuclear-free future “outnumber opponents.” Let us recall that we are still talking about 45%.
Technology that protects against crisis
The history of nuclear power plants in Taiwan dates back to the 1970s, and the first memoranda on cooperation in the civil application of nuclear technology were signed with the US as early as the 1950s. After the global oil crisis of 1973 and the prospect of economic and energy threats resulting from rising raw material prices, then Prime Minister Chiang Ching-kuo decided to implement 10 large-scale infrastructure projects. The investments were intended to accelerate the country’s economic and social development. Among them were projects to expand nuclear energy.
The construction of the first Chinshan power plant (with a capacity of 1.27 GW) was approved as early as 1970, and the oil crisis of 1973 only strengthened the government’s ambitions. Chinshan was designated a priority project, and plans were expanded to include the construction of the Kuosheng (1.97 GW) and Maanshan (1.9 GW) power plants. Chinshan and Kuosheng were equipped with boiling water reactors (BWR), while Maanshan was equipped with pressurized water reactors (PWR). As a result of US-Taiwanese cooperation, all units used Westinghouse technology, and the operating life of the power plants was set at 40 years. Uranium was imported from Australia, Canada, Kazakhstan, Namibia, and other countries, and the enrichment process took place in the US or Europe (mainly in France).
There were also plans for a fourth nuclear power plant, Lungmen (known as NFP), with a capacity of 2.7 GW and ABWR boiling water reactors designed by GE Hitachi Nuclear Power. After many years of controversy and political wrangling, construction of the facility began in 1999, but in 2015 it was decided to close it down, despite its advanced stage of completion, and to secure the equipment for future use.
Four years later, Taipower finally ruled out the launch of the power plant, stating that it would take six to seven years to start commercial operations and that GE would not be able to replace many of the aging components installed two decades earlier. As the World Nuclear Association points out, due to the construction hiatus and management problems, $9.9 billion has already been spent on the project, and according to the Taiwanese Atomic Energy Council (AEC) minister, another $1.9-2.3 billion will be needed to complete construction.
Declining stability
Nuclear investments have achieved their purpose – they have mitigated the effects of the oil crisis, become part of industrial transformation, and secured the island’s energy needs. In the 1980s, nuclear power reached its peak share in total electricity production (almost 52%, which declined steadily in subsequent years, falling below 20% at the beginning of the millennium and to 6.3% in 2023. The decline was due to a lack of further investment in nuclear technology, increasing energy needs and the expansion of alternative energy sources, including those supported by the government, such as offshore wind farms.
Nuclear power plants not only provided stable support for energy-intensive sectors of the economy (such as semiconductor manufacturing), but also stimulated the development of the island’s power grid, regional development, and the training of highly qualified engineers.
Nevertheless, Taiwanese society was not fully pro-nuclear, and doubts about the safety of nuclear technology were raised. Thanks to the active work of anti-nuclear movements and their strong ties to the DPP, Taiwanese politicians have long sought to limit the operation of nuclear power plants, ultimately leading to their closure. As recently as early 2019, then-Minister of Economic Affairs Shen Jong-chin confirmed that “there will be no expansion or restart of nuclear power plants in Taiwan.”
Xi Jinping flexes his muscles
Taiwan’s energy security should be considered not only in the context of climate change, emissions, supply stability and economic development, but also – and perhaps above all – in relation to Beijing’s growing aggressive rhetoric. In March this year, Taiwanese President William Lai (Lai Ching-te) openly described the PRC as a “hostile foreign force”, pointing to increasingly frequent Chinese attacks: almost daily incursions into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) and infiltration of the Taiwanese military, government, and society.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) regularly simulates naval blockades of Taiwan, conducting large-scale maneuvers and coordinated military exercises. Quoted by the Taipei Times, the head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel Paparo, warned at the end of May that China had “chosen a dangerous course” and that the maneuvers were “simulations [of a naval blockade – ed. Energetyla24] and not exercises.” In April, the Chinese Taiwan Affairs Office said that the maneuvers were intended as a “warning” to separatist tendencies on the island and were a ‘punishment’ for “continuous provocations (…) for the independence [of Taiwan – editor’s note, Energetyka24].”
Similar military intimidation is a constant feature of the island’s political landscape, but since the election of Lai, who has repeatedly spoken out in favor of Taiwan’s sovereignty in the past, the maneuvers have intensified. For example, in February this year, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense reported that 32 Chinese military aircraft had been detected conducting “joint combat readiness exercises” with Chinese warships in the Taiwan Strait, and, more importantly, of conducting “firing drills,” which is extremely rare.
Therefore, energy security and stability of supply are key elements of Taiwan’s military infrastructure. As Philip Hou of Peace for Taiwan points out in The Diplomat, a power grid failure could disrupt the Leshan early warning radar station, resulting in a serious threat of attack on the island’s critical defense infrastructure. Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged that when discussing stability, we would have to talk about a more than 20% share of nuclear power in the energy mix – a mere 3% would not make a huge difference in the event of a system collapse.
Zero-emission nuclear power replaced by… coal and LNG?
The structure of Taiwan’s energy mix also affects the island’s energy security. According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), in 2023, the island imported a staggering 97% of its energy resources, most of which was oil and petroleum products, coal, and LNG.
This high dependence is due to geophysical and geopolitical factors. Taiwan has no undersea power cables, pipelines, or significant reserves of natural resources such as coal or gas. Water supplies are also insufficient, and the small, densely populated area available (about 70% of the island is covered by mountains) makes it difficult to build renewable energy infrastructure.
The island’s almost total dependence on energy imports puts the prospect of disruption to maritime supply routes in a new light. The Chinese navy is unlikely to abandon its attempts to blockade Taiwan by sea, and although this will not be an easy undertaking due to geographical constraints, such a scenario remains possible.
In such a situation, one way to ensure stability of supply is to create reserves of raw materials. According to the MOEA, secure LNG supplies have been set at a minimum of 14 days in 2027, while oil refinery operators are required to maintain reserves for 60 days and the government for 30 days. However, considering that electricity is mainly generated from coal (42.2%) and gas (39.5%), and oil covers almost half of the country’s energy needs, such basic reserves do not seem to be sufficient. It is worth remembering that the collection and storage of nuclear fuel (with an energy density 3 million times greater than coal) is much easier than the equivalent LNG or coal energy reserves. In the event of a maritime blockade, operating nuclear power plants would ensure longer and more stable electricity supplies, providing measurable support to the energy system.
“Taiwan’s energy security is currently deteriorating. In my opinion, it is at risk,” Prof. Tsung-Kuang Yeh of the Taiwan Institute of Nuclear Engineering and Nuclear Sciences told E24. “Reliable, cheap, and emission-free sources of electricity are disappearing completely, causing greater instability in supply and higher electricity prices. In addition, from 2026, at least 50 percent of electricity will be generated by gas-fired power plants, while LNG reserves are sufficient for only 11 days.”
Apart from safety issues, abandoning nuclear power is in clear contradiction to the established decarbonization targets. According to the DPP plan, Taiwan should achieve climate neutrality by 2050, but completely emission-free nuclear power will be replaced in the short term by emission-emitting LNG and in the long term by renewable energy sources. Currently, there is also a minimal increase in energy generated from coal. Given the main goal of zero emissions, closing the nuclear power plant only delays the “greening” of the island’s energy sector.
The energy “Achilles’ heel”
The closure of the Maanshan power plant seems to be an expression of populist and traditionalist politics, rather than pragmatic policy. The DPP and its coalition partners, which have historically cooperated closely with anti-nuclear groups, could not back down from their original opposition to nuclear technology.
At the same time, Taiwan is currently swimming against the tide of a new wave of nuclear renaissance that has also reached East Asia. Japan (despite the experience of the Fukushima accident in 2011 and the resulting public panic) wants to achieve a 20% share of nuclear power in its energy mix by 2040, and South Korea wants to achieve over 35% by 2038.
When analyzing the closure of Maanshan, we must not forget that Taiwan strayed from the path of nuclear energy development long before the closure of its last reactor in May. Initially, it was not alone in its anti-nuclear tendencies—Japan, Germany, and even Belgium eventually withdrew from nuclear power. The intensive development of renewable energy sources seemed a natural direction for energy change, ensuring independence from fossil fuels.
Even if the result of the August referendum proves favorable for nuclear power supporters on the island, it is not certain that the nuclear power plants will be restarted. Outdated technology, possible repairs and renovation—all of this may prove too costly.
The closure of Maanshan, which provided only 3% of the country’s electricity needs, is a symbolic end to the process of abandoning nuclear power, which has been steadfastly pursued since the beginning of the 21st century. Last-minute referendums are unlikely to revive defunct nuclear reactors or lead to the launch of the Lungmen power plant. The question arises: in the face of Xi Jinping’s aggressive rhetoric and PLA ships practicing a naval blockade of the island, should even 3% of a stable energy source be voluntarily abandoned?