Nuclear Power Generation in Republic of China

With the nation's rapid economic development, the need for electricity in the Republic of China has increased in recent years. To diversify the nation's energy supply sources in the face of rising oil prices, and to ensure long-term, low-price electricity supplies, the government started in 1970 to build the first nuclear power plant in northern Taiwan as one of the 10 major construction projects. The first nuclear power plant began generation on Nov. 16. Two more nuclear power plants are under construction in Taiwan. The cost of all three is estimated at US$3.9 billion, and their total output will be 5.144 million kilowatts. With the first nuclear power plant beginning production, imports of crude oil, which formerly supplied 80 per cent of the fuel for power generation, will be significantly reduced in the future.