US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI4246

C O N F I D E N T I A L TAIPEI 004246 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AIT/W 
STATE FOR EAP/RSP/TC AND NP/NE ALEX BURKART 
NRC FOR KEVIN BURKE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2010 
TAGS: ECON, ENRG, PARM, KNNP, TW, IAEA 
SUBJECT: AIT VISITS TAIWAN'S NUCLEAR SAFETY OPS CENTER 
 
REF: 217577 
 
Classified By: AIT DIRECTOR DOUGLAS PAAL, REASON 1.4 (b) 
 
1.  (C) Summary: AIT ECONOFF met with officials from 
Taiwan,s Atomic Energy Council (AEC) to discuss arrangements 
for the upcoming 2005 AIT/TECRO Joint Standing Committee on 
Civil Nuclear Cooperation.  AEC officials provided a surprise 
tour of the new Nuclear Safety Duty Center (NSDC).  A 24 hour 
&OPS Center8 for the three nuclear power plants that Taiwan 
operates as well as the fourth plant that is still under 
construction.  During the tour, officials said that plans are 
being made to extend the life of the #1 nuclear power plant. 
End Summary. 
 
2.  (U) On October 13, ECONOFF visited AEC to discuss the 
logistics of the upcoming AIT/TECRO Meeting on Civil Nuclear 
Cooperation that will take place in Taipei November 1-4.  The 
routine meeting was requested by the AEC to discuss details 
about the upcoming meeting such as transportation, schedules 
and media relations. 
 
3.  (C) After the meeting, Dr. Chen Wei-li, AEC,s Deputy 
Director of the Department of Planning, surprised ECONOFF by 
taking him on a tour of AEC,s NSDC.  The NSDC was built two 
years ago and functions as the 24-hour control room for the 
three nuclear power plants that Taiwan operates.  In the 
event of an emergency, Taiwan officials will report to the 
NSDC to organize a response.  Every year the AEC conducts a 
simulation of an emergency at one of the nuclear power 
plants.  AEC officials stressed the redundant planning that 
went into the NSDC. In case of power failure there are two 
back-up generators and satellite telephones. 
 
4. (U) AEC makes a surprising amount of information about the 
NSDC,s operations available to the public.  The same screens 
that provide information at the NSDC on actual conditions at 
the power plants can be accessed online at 
www.aec.gov.tw/www/events/gammadetect.php At any time, the 
public can see radiation measurements and other statistics 
from all three power plants in real time.  The NSDC also 
monitors twelve news channels to allow them to respond to any 
media reports about nuclear power. 
 
5. (C) AIT ECONOFF asked about plans to extend the life of 
the #1 nuclear power plant. Dr. Ni Maw-Sherng, AEC,s 
Director of the Department of Nuclear Technology said that 
the #1 nuclear power plant,s estimated lifespan ends in 2017 
and that the current plan is to decommission the plant in 
2010. However, he told AIT that there are preparations being 
done at Taipower to extend the life of the plant past 2017. 
In order to extend the lifespan of a nuclear power plant, Dr. 
Ni said, preparations need to start 8-12 years before the 
estimated end of the plant,s lifespan. Taiwan needs to start 
preparing now if it wants to extend the life of the #1 
nuclear power plant. Dr. Ni prefaced his statement on 
Taipower,s plans by saying that life extension is not 
possible &under the current political situation.8 
 
6.  (C) AEC Officials told AIT that they have no intention of 
developing nuclear weapons. They remarked that the 
International Atomic Energy Agency,s (IAEA) annual 
inspection in Taiwan is always directed toward Taiwan,s 
attempt twenty years ago at developing an atomic bomb. Dr. 
Chen said &I wasn,t there twenty years ago but they keep 
asking me questions as if I would know the answers.8 
 
7.  (C) Comment: AEC Officials were keen to promote the new 
NSDC and to show AIT that they are serious about nuclear 
power safety. Officials believe that it is becoming 
increasingly unlikely that Taiwan will decommission the first 
nuclear power plant on the scheduled target date of 2010. In 
the meantime, they are actively engaged in making sure 
nuclear power has a future in Taiwan. End Comment. 
 
PAAL