Nuclear power in Taiwan: present and future

Nuclear power in Taiwan has been found to be safe, reliable, and economical, and it has been important in sustaining Taiwan's recent economic growth. Taiwan is a signatory of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, and all facilities are subject to safeguards agreements and to extensive safety regulations. The Taipower nuclear program consists of six units in three projects. Construction management was handled by the company itself, and the projects have been among the best- managed in the world. Taipower chose light-water reactors (LWR) for their proven success and economical operation, and the company plans to continue its LWR program up to the turn of the century. Taipower has initiated extensive improvement programs for its completed projects, leading to significant improvements in availability and capacity factors. The company also conducts extensive training programs for its staff. Taipower now has an installed capacity of 11,810 MW, which will increase to 17,008 MW by 1986. This capacity is expected to be sufficient to carry the system load until the 1990s. The feasibility of additional nuclear development is being studied. (author)