. Space Industry and Business News .




.
CIVIL NUCLEAR
Nuclear power a key issue for Taiwan polls
by Staff Writers
Taipei, Taiwan (UPI) Jan 10, 2012

disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only

The fate of Taiwan's controversial $9.3 billion nuclear power plant will be a key issue in the country's upcoming presidential elections.

Taiwan's three existing nuclear power plants -- Chinshan, Kuosheng and Maanshan -- provide 17 percent of the country's overall energy needs. Built in the 1970s, the facilities are operated by the Taiwan Power Co. utility, known as Taipower, under the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

But after Japan's magnitude-9 earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 led to a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, concerns regarding the safety of nuclear power became a major campaign issue for Taiwan's presidential elections, set for Jan. 14.

Taipower's No. 4 Longmen, Taiwan's fourth nuclear plant still under construction in New Taipei City, has been bitterly opposed by local residents, environmentalists and the Democratic Progressive Party even before the Fukushima disaster. It had been scheduled to come online by December 2011.

Taiwan Today reports that in pre-operation tests over the past year, Longmen, which will feature two 1,350-megawatt advanced boiling water reactor units, has experienced fires, blackouts and other irregularities.

Not long after the Fukushima disaster, Democratic Progressive Party Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen sai, a candidate for president, had proposed a "2025 Nuclear-Free Home Plan," whereby the three existing plants would be retired on the current schedule, by 2025, and Longmen would not be allowed to load fuel or begin commercial operation.

In November, Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said if re-elected to a second four-year term he would allow Longmen to start commercial operation before 2016 "on the basis of assured safety" and thus would not extend the 40-year service life of the Chinshan, Kuosheng and Maanshan nuclear plants.

But following a Taipower presentation on measures it was taking to deal with Longmen's structural problems raised by critics, Atomic Energy Council Deputy Minister Huang Ching-tung announced last month the nuclear power plant would continue under "intensified monitoring."

"We will uphold the principles of safety first with quality as our top priority," Huang said.

The third presidential candidate, James Soong of the People First Party, favors not extending the service life of the three existing nuclear power plants but wants to take a "wait and see" approach regarding the new plant.

One option, National Taiwan University Professor of Economics Lin Shang-kai told Inter Press News Agency, would be to allow Longmen's completion but not allow it to load fuel or operate, thus avoiding legislative approval for its cancellation.

Related Links
Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Science, Nuclear Technology
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com




.
.
Get Our Free Newsletters Via Email
...
Buy Advertising Editorial Enquiries






.

. Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle



CIVIL NUCLEAR
New material for thermonuclear fusion reactors
Madrid, Spain (SPX) Jan 11, 2012
Scientists at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), Oxford University (United Kingdom) and the University of Michigan (USA) have joined efforts to develop new materials for thermonuclear fusion reactors. Their research focuses on characterization of oxide dispersion-strengthened, reduced-activation steel for the reactor structure. Thermonuclear fusion promises to be a possible solution ... read more


CIVIL NUCLEAR
First Intel-powered smartphone to debut in China

Nokia declares war in US smartphone market

Salk scientists map the frontiers of vision

Hybrid silkworms spin stronger spider silk

CIVIL NUCLEAR
Raytheon's Navy Multiband Terminal Tests With On-Orbit AEHF Satellite

Northrop Grumman And ITT Exelis Team For Army Vehicular Radio

Lockheed Martin Ships First Mobile User Objective System Satellite To Cape For Launch

Satellite Tracking Specialist, Track24, wins Canadian Government Contract

CIVIL NUCLEAR
China to launch Bolivian satellite in 2013: Chinese Ambassador

Ariane 5, Soyuz, Vega: Three world-changing launch vehicles

Satellites: Europe's Arianespace sets 13 launches for 2012

Arianespace Set To Ride The Power of Three In 2012

CIVIL NUCLEAR
Association of Old Crows Recognizes the Dangers of Persistent GPS Interference

Chinese Satellite Navigation System Beidou Begin Test Services

China's satellite navigation system will meet both civil and defense needs

Russia, India to cooperate in production of satellite navigation equipment

CIVIL NUCLEAR
India protests EU airline emissions tax

Airbus agrees A380 deal with Hong Kong Airlines: reports

Slovenian adventurer embarks on eco-friendly world trip

Chinese carriers won't pay EU carbon charge: group

CIVIL NUCLEAR
Relay race with single atoms: New ways of manipulating matter

Tiny wires could usher new computer era

Stanford engineers achieve record conductivity in strained lattice organic semiconductor

New technique makes it easier to etch semiconductors

CIVIL NUCLEAR
Astro Aerospace Completes CDA of Reflector Boom Assembly for SMAP Mission

Ice data at your fingertips

TRMM Satellite Measured Washi's Deadly Rainfall

First ever direct measurement of the Earth's rotation

CIVIL NUCLEAR
'Off the scale' smog grounds flights in Beijing

New oil leak as wreck's stern sinks off N. Zealand

Looters in N.Z. raid cargo washed up from ship

Stricken New Zealand cargo ship breaks up


.

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2012 - Space Media Network. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement