TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Japanese nuclear engineer Goto Masashi warned Taiwan against restarting idle nuclear power plants during a forum in Taipei on Wednesday marking the 15th anniversary of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, describing nuclear facilities as “time bombs.”
Goto said that although Japan has been returning to nuclear power, with nearly half of its 33 nuclear units now back in operation, the risk of accidents remains high. He cited issues including falsified reporting data and the continued threat posed by natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis, per UDN.
Drawing on his experience as a designer of reactor vessels and containment systems for Toshiba, Goto said some of the systems he helped design were similar to four of the six reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. He added that he participated in designing the plant’s containment structures.
Goto said the plant continues to discharge treated radioactive wastewater into the ocean, a process expected to continue for decades and one that could create environmental challenges that were not fully anticipated at the time of construction.
He said that at the start of the disaster in 2011, his professional assessment suggested the accident could exceed the scale of the 1979 Three Mile Island nuclear accident in the US. He also criticized Tokyo Electric Power Company for denying core meltdowns for two months following the accident, saying the incident undermined trust in the company’s ability to operate nuclear power plants.
Goto added that natural disasters remain a significant risk for nuclear facilities. He cited the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake in Japan, which caused road closures and ground uplift of up to 4 meters in an area where nuclear power plants had been planned. Such seismic shocks are difficult for nuclear facilities to withstand, he said.
Goto also warned that nuclear plants are vulnerable to military attacks. He said an aircraft or missile strike could breach containment structures, potentially causing internal fires and endangering spent fuel storage pools. He added that during his time working on nuclear plant designs, scenarios involving such attacks were never tested.
The forum was attended by DPP Legislators Kuo Yu-ching (郭昱晴) and Chang Ya-lin (張雅琳), who voiced support for Goto’s concerns. Chang said any discussion about restarting nuclear power in Taiwan should be conducted rationally and scientifically.
She said many of Taiwan’s nuclear plants were built during the authoritarian era and lacked comprehensive environmental impact assessments and other testing at the time.
She also noted that Taiwan still lacks a permanent disposal site for high-level nuclear waste. This led her to agree with Goto’s characterization of nuclear plants as time bombs.
A representative from the Green Citizens’ Action Alliance said the Fukushima disaster should serve as a lesson. The group said that although some advocates argue newer, smaller nuclear reactors are safer, any risk of radiation leaks and soil and water contamination remain unacceptable.
