AIT VISITS TAIWAN'S NUCLEAR SAFETY OPS CENTER

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