Nuclear plants in Taiwan pass stress tests, European regulators say

Last week, the European Commission made an announcement stating that the safety standards implemented in Taiwanese nuclear power plants are generally of a high standard and comply with internationally recognized practices. However, the European Commission and the European Nuclear Safety Regulators’ Group (ENSREG) have strongly recommended further improvements due to Taiwan’s susceptibility to natural hazards such as earthquakes, flooding, tsunamis, and volcanoes. These suggested improvements include the installation of higher tsunami protection walls and the utilization of updated methods and data to assess the risks associated with seismic activities and flooding.

The European Commission serves as the representative body for the European Union (EU) as a whole. It proposes new legislation to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, and ensures that member countries adhere to EU law. In response to the nuclear incident in Fukushima, the commission and ENSREG agreed to conduct voluntary tests on the EU’s 143 nuclear reactors. These tests were conducted using a standardized methodology and assessed both natural and manmade hazards, such as airplane crashes and terrorist attacks.

Numerous other countries and territories also conducted comprehensive assessments of nuclear risks and safety, following the EU stress-test model. This includes countries like Switzerland and Ukraine, which fully participated in the EU stress tests, as well as Armenia, Turkey, Russia, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, and Brazil.

Taiwan has been generating nuclear power since 1977, with three plants currently operational and one under construction. All of these plants have undergone the stress tests and subsequently the EU peer review. The Commission is currently engaged in discussions with other countries regarding the possibility of conducting peer reviews of their stress tests as well.