Shipping Out Nuclear Fuel Rods Is Tantamount to Shipping Ammunition to the Mainland

  Shipping Out Nuclear Fuel Rods Is Tantamount to Shipping Ammunition to the Mainland

China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

June 10, 2018

 Translation of an Excerpt

The Tsai government has decided to ship back to the United States, in batches, the fuel rods for Nuclear Power Plant No. 4 (NPP No. 4) starting in July, for “depositing on a different site,” as the first step to dismantle NPP No. 4. The private sector has launched activities appealing to suspend shipping out the nuclear fuel rods; the activities have been "technically blocked,” by the government, signifying that the Tsai government was determined to dismantle NPP No. 4. Although it has been known that the DPP will not forsake the nuclear-free homeland totem, we still want to make a last appeal: keep nuclear power, and continue to mothball NPP No. 4 in order to leave room for maneuvering and opportunities for maintaining national security.

The proportion of Taiwan’s power sources is set at about 40% for coal, 30% for natural gas (LNG), 20% for nuclear power, and 10% for others. This is the most appropriate ratio arrived at after taking into consideration in a comprehensive manner factors such as cost, efficacy, safety reliability, sustainability, environmental protection, resource reserves, economic affordability, and economic value, plus considering diversity and safety.

Since the Tsai government came to office two years ago, it has pushed cross-Strait relations in a more frigid and tense direction. However, we don’t know whether it has been thought through, if the tense situation in the Taiwan Strait should lead to shipping of LNG being affected, or even if shippers would not be willing or dare to ship LNG to Taiwan, more than half of Taiwan’s power plants would not be able to generate power within 10 to 15 days; what impact would this have on industry and people’s livelihoods? Isn’t sending out nuclear fuel rods tantamount to sending ammunition to the Mainland against Taiwan?

On the eve of shipping out NPP No. 4 fuel rods, based on long-term national security requirements and considering the future sustainability of Taiwan, we would like to offer another word of advice: temporarily suspend shipping out fuel rods and continue mothballing NPP No. 4 in order to leave an option for the future and leave a glimmer of opportunity for survival. A nuclear-free homeland is definitely not a universal value, but the maladministration of self-debilitation.

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