A referendum on reopening the Maanshan nuclear power plant failed to meet the legal quorum and therefore will not reopen. About 4.3 million voters supported reopening while roughly 1.5 million opposed, but the motion required one quarter of registered electors (about five million). The plant was closed in May as the government shifts toward renewables and liquefied natural gas. The Taiwan People's Party proposed the vote with Kuomintang backing, citing the need for reliable domestic power. The government cited earthquake risk and nuclear waste handling as major safety concerns. President Lai said advanced nuclear could be considered if safety, waste reduction and societal acceptance improve. Separate recall votes against KMT legislators also failed.
A referendum to push for the reopening of Taiwan's last nuclear plant has failed to reach the legal threshold to be valid, though the president said the island could return to the technology in the future if safety standards improved. The plebiscite on Saturday, backed by the opposition, asked whether the Maanshan power plant should be reopened if it was confirmed there were no safety issues.
The small Taiwan People's party (TPP) proposed the referendum earlier this year, and with the backing of the much larger Kuomintang (KMT) passed the legislation for the vote, saying Taiwan needs reliable power supplies and not to be so reliant on imports. About 4.3 million people voted in favour of the plant's reopening in the referendum, a clear majority over the 1.5 million who voted against, figures from the Central Election Commission showed.
Taiwan's government says there are major safety concerns around generating nuclear power in earthquake-prone Taiwan and handling nuclear waste. President Lai Ching-te told reporters on Saturday evening that while the referendum had failed, he understood society's expectations for diverse energy options. If, in the future, the technology becomes safer, nuclear waste is reduced and societal acceptance increases, we will not rule out advanced nuclear energy, he said.
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