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Taipower (Taiwan) decommissions Kuosheng-1 nuclear reactor

Taipower has shut down the unit 1 (985 MW) of the Kuosheng nuclear power plant (2 x 985 MW) in Wanli District, New Taipei (Taiwan). The state-owned power utility unveiled its decommissioning plan for Kuosheng-1 in 2018, and it was approved by the Taiwanese Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) in October 2020. The reactor was expected to be retired by the end of 2021. However, Taipower decided to decommission Kuosheng-1 ahead of schedule due to spent fuel-storage capacity constraints that prevent it from being refuelled. Kuosheng-2 is planned to be retired in March 2023. The two BWR-6 reactors were commissioned respectively in 1981 and 1983.

Taiwan plans to exit nuclear power by 2025, replacing existing capacity with gas-fired and renewables projects. A new 500 MW CCGT unit has recently been commissioned at Chiahuei (unit 2), along with 500 MW of new solar PV installations.

Taiwan’s installed capacity stood at 60.2 GW at the end of 2020, with 35% of coal, 34% of gas and 10% of solar. Nuclear only accounts for 6% of total capacity, with 3.8 GW. Jhinshan-1 and 2 (2 x 604 MW), also operated by Taipower, were decommissioned in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

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