Latest news with #JusenAsuka
Otago Daily Times
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Taiwan shuts down its last nuclear reactor
A slogan is displayed on a building, using laser light, as Taiwan shuts down its last Nuclear reactor, in Taipei, on Saturday. PHOTO: REUTERS Taiwan on Saturday began to shut down its last active nuclear reactor, officially marking its departure from atomic power. "This sends a strong message not only to other Asian nations like Japan and Korea but also to the rest of the world that nuclear power is unnecessary," Tohoku University professor Jusen Asuka told DPA. The decommissioning of Taiwan's older nuclear power plants began in 2018 and 2021, followed by the shutdown of Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant's first reactor in July 2024. At its peak in the mid-1980s, when all six reactors were active, nuclear power provided more than 50% of Taiwan's electricity, but in 2024 its share dropped to about 3%. On Friday, Premier Cho Jung-tai assured the public that power supply would remain stable despite rising demand, driven by key industries such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence. Critics have questioned whether Taiwan's growing energy needs can be sustainably met without nuclear power. Given the ongoing tensions with China, some specialists argue for greater energy independence through a diversified supply. — DPA
Qatar Tribune
18-05-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Taiwan shuts down last nuclear reactor
TaipeicTypeface:> Taiwan on Saturday began to shut down its last active nuclear reactor, officially marking its departure from atomic power. The No. 2 reactor at the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant in southern Taiwan, with a capacity of 951 megawatts, was set to be completely shut down by midnight local time, after its 40-year operating license expired, according to the state-owned energy supplier, Taiwan Power Company (Taipower). This move fulfils a key promise of the government's 2016 energy plan. The decision was largely influenced by the 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan. 'This sends a strong message not only to other Asian nations like Japan and Korea but also to the rest of the world that nuclear power is unnecessary,' Jusen Asuka, a professor at Japan's Tohoku University, told DPA. The decommissioning of Taiwan's older nuclear power plants began in 2018 and 2021, followed by the shutdown of Maanshan's first reactor in July 2024. At its peak in the mid-1980s nuclear power provided more than 50% of electricity, but in 2024 its share dropped to about 3%. (DPA)
