TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Nuclear Safety Commission Chair Chen Ming-chen (陳明真) said the restart plan for Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant has begun and pledged the process will ensure all safety requirements are met, CNA reported on Wednesday.
Rapid growth in the AI and semiconductor sectors has significantly increased Taiwan’s electricity demand. The Ministry of Economic Affairs forecasts that power consumption in Taiwan will rise 13% by 2030 compared with 2023. It also projects that AI-related power demand will reach 224 kW by 2028, an eightfold increase from 2023.
To meet rising demand, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said the government plans to restart the nuclear power plant, which was decommissioned in May 2025 after its operating license expired. In the same month, the Legislative Yuan passed amendments to the Nuclear Reactor Facilities Regulation Act, allowing nuclear power plants to apply for extensions beyond their license expiry.
In March, Taipower submitted the restart plan to the commission for review. The plan includes the current condition of the unit, staffing arrangements, work required to restart operations, maintenance, and safety inspections.
Taipower said safety inspections could take up to two years, with reports submitted to the commission for review. It added the nuclear plant can only restart after approval and a new operating license is issued.
On April 28, the commission will hold a briefing on the plant’s restart in Pingtung’s Hengchun Township. Chen said the commission will also work with the Ministry of Environment to conduct an environmental impact assessment for the restart.
On Tuesday, Lai met with local environmental groups. He said the government will continue to strengthen green energy development, energy storage, and expand natural gas power generation.
The National Atomic Research Institute added it will launch a small modular reactor research program this year to help boost future energy supply, with a target of achieving power generation by 2035.
Each unit can generate up to 300 MW, about one-third the output of a conventional nuclear plant. The reactors require less land and are built in modules that can be assembled on site. They also pose a lower risk of widespread power outages if a malfunction occurs.
