Today (May 17), Unit 2 of Taipower's Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant reached the end of its 40-year operating license. The unit began a gradual power reduction in the afternoon and was disconnected from the grid and safely shut down by evening. Taipower explained that Unit 2 of Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant, with an installed capacity of 951,000 kW (or 0.951 GW), accounting for about 3% of Taiwan's total power generation, has now completed its licensed operating life. In response to the gradual decommissioning of nuclear units in recent years, as well as the retirement or downsizing of aging coal-fired units, Taipower has proactively implemented renovation and expansion projects since 2017 at its Datan, Taichung, and Hsinta power plants. These projects focus on building low-carbon, low-emission gas-fired combined-cycle units. Coupled with the accelerated deployment of renewable energy in recent years, and supported by pumped-storage hydropower, battery storage, and demand-side management, Taipower's diversified power dispatch strategy has kept electricity supply stable while significantly reducing air pollution and carbon emissions. This year, four large gas-fired units with a combined capacity of nearly 5 GW from the Datan, Hsinta, and Taichung power plants will come online, along with approximately 3.5 GW of wind and photovoltaic power. Together, these additions will ensure a reliable and sufficient power supply for the public.
Taipower added that Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 began commercial operation on May 18, 1985, and generated a cumulative total of approximately 274,160 GWh of electricity over its 40-year service period. In line with its license expiry, the unit began load reduction at 1:00 p.m. today, was disconnected from the grid at about 10:00 p.m., and reached safe shutdown status by midnight. Next, the reactor's spent fuel will be removed and transferred to the spent fuel pool. Taipower will continue with the development of dry storage facilities and advance site selection and construction of final disposal sites for nuclear waste. The Company calls for public understanding and support for these critical backend nuclear waste management processes.
Spokesperson: Vice President, Chih-Meng Tsai
Tel: (02 )2366-6271/0958-749-333
Email: u910707@taipower.com.tw
Contact Person: Director of Nuclear Power Generation Department, Chih-Pao Lin
Tel: (02 )2366-7040/0921-210-506
Email: u808941@taipower.com.tw
Contact Person: Director of Power Dispatch Department, Fang-Cheng Chou
Tel: (02 )2366-6600/0952-810-417
Email: u027007@taipower.com.tw
Contact Person: Director of Nuclear Backend Management Department, Ying-Chen Liao
Tel: (02 )2365-7210 Ext. 2200/0953-685-053
Email: u880803@taipower.com.tw