atw 2019-01

atw Vol. 64 (2019) | Issue 1 ı January
“Grassroots” for Nuclear Power
3
Dear reader, The discussion about the peaceful use of nuclear power was focused skillfully and sustainably by its
opponents at an early stage. Thus it was possible to raise a topic to be discussed at the factual level to a purely emotional
level. While those in favour of nuclear power published one technical study after another, it was a multitude of elegant
moves that led the subject discussion into the desired polarised debate and pushed the facts into the background.
­Although the studies were scientifically correct and transparent in order to demonstrate the advantages of nuclear
power – as a low-emission, reliable, economical and, assuming its responsible operation, also safe energy source – they
could hardly keep up with the emotional level of argumentation of the opponents of nuclear power. Among other things,
nuclear power was verbally dismissed, expressions such as „Atommeiler“ are characteristic, and presented as anonymous,
even partly environmentally contemptuous technology. People who were convinced of their application did not appear
in this scenario and were hardly desired in the public-political discussion. After all, there are some prominent, native
opponents of nuclear energy today, such as Greenpeace founder Patrick Moore, who, beyond dogmas, today support the
peaceful use of nuclear power as an ecologically justifiable pillar of future energy supply.
EDITORIAL
Change of scenery: Some 40 years later and 9,387 km from
Europe. Place of action Taipei, Taiwan, China. Taiwan is a
technically highly developed, modern industrial region.
With its economic structure, a stable and secure energy
supply is indispensable. This is even more true for the
electricity supply due to many companies in the high-tech
sector, such as the semiconductor industry. As a country
poor in raw materials, Taiwan is dependent on 98 %
imports for its energy supply. Gas (LNG) and coal dominate
the electricity supply. The four nuclear power plants
in operation at two locations, with a capacity of app.
3,800 MW, account for app. 10 % of the country's
generation capacity. Together with the two nuclear power
plants shut down at the Chinshan site on 3 October 2018
after 46 and 45 years of operation respectively, they
­supplied around 15 % of the country's electricity demands.
The safe operation of the two Chinshan reactors had been
examined by the Taiwanese nuclear safety authority in
2007, with the result that the license could be extended for
20 years beyond the approved year 2017 to 2037. Two
advanced boiling water reactors, each with an electrical
output of 1,350 MW, had been under construction at the
Lungmen site since 1999. Due to the political environment,
the completion was suspended several times and in 2015
the operator Taipower decided to preserve the plant until a
possible later completion. In Japan, two type-similar plants
were put into commercial operation in the 1990s after
three years of construction.
Taiwan, too, was not spared the ideologised and
­instrumentalised nuclear energy discussion. Taiwan's
policy is characterised by two blocs: the “pan-green
­coalition” with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as
the strongest force and the “pan-blue coalition” around the
Kuomintang. The “pan-green coalition” – green stands
­primarily for the colour of the party 's flag, not for political
orientation – had written the withdrawal from the peaceful
use of nuclear power into the party programme as a
political delimitation. After its election victory in the
­parliamentary and presidential elections in 2016, the DPP
proclaimed the phase-out of nuclear power by 2025. The
first step towards phasing out nuclear energy was then the
shut-down of the reactors in Chinshan.
Human failure in a 4,000 MW gas-fired power plant led
to a five-hour blackout in the northern part of Taiwan on
August 15, 2017. Several leading politicians then resigned.
Since the subsequent period saw an increasing number of
minor power failures, Taiwan's citizens were sensitized to
the issue of security of electricity supply.
On 24 November 2018 the time had come. Together
with regional elections, Taiwan's citizens were asked to
express their views on the political nuclear phase-out and
other issues in a referendum. This was preceded by a
vehement debate on this point. The government- controlled
Central Election Commission had originally rejected the
pro-nuclear referendum. The referendum provides for the
withdrawal of Article 95-1 of the Electricity Act and thus
the decommissioning of all nuclear power plants by the
year 2025. In accordance with a decision of the highest
court, this point of action was then put to the vote. This
referendum item was approved by 59.49% or 5,895,560 of
10,832,735 voters.
Observers see an essential part of this success in
the continued use of nuclear power in the supporting
“­Grassroots” movement, i.e. citizens like you and me who
take to the streets and personally stand up for their
opinion. This is certainly not new, but what was new was
the scale and nature of the effort. While an “advertising
campaign” was launched on the part of the anti-nuclear
activists, it was the many contacts on the street with which
the supporters of nuclear energy scored points – the
Taiwanese nuclear power plant operator was not allowed
to position itself.
Now it will be interesting how the government positions
itself. In 2020 there will be parliamentary and presidential
elections and if the government does not react to the
pro-nuclear vote, the Taiwanese “Grassroots” have already
announced a succeeding referendum.
On the streets for nuclear power. Something new.
Something unique and now even successful.
Christopher Weßelmann
– Editor in Chief –
Editorial
“Grassroots” for Nuclear Power