Taipower: Nuclear Power Plant Fuel Rods Not Interchangeable, Overseas Storage of Lungmen Fuel Rods More Economical
Taipower Chairman Zeng Wensheng announced that nuclear power plant fuel rods are not interchangeable between different plants, and storing Lungmen (Nuclear Fourth) fuel rods overseas is more cost-effective, costing approximately NT$100-200 million annually, compared to domestic storage.
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- 📰 Published: May 6, 2026 at 13:36
- 🔍 Collected: May 6, 2026 at 14:01 (25 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 6, 2026 at 14:03 (2 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Wu Shu-wei, Taipei 6th) Regarding the issue of nuclear power plant fuel rods, Taipower Chairman Zeng Wensheng stated today that nuclear power plant fuel rods are specially designed, and fuel rods from Nuclear First, Nuclear Second, Nuclear Third, and Nuclear Fourth (Lungmen) cannot be interchanged. Taipower is sending the fuel rods for overseas storage in accordance with a resolution by the Legislative Yuan, with an annual cost of approximately NT$100-200 million. Furthermore, it has been estimated that storing Lungmen fuel rods domestically would incur higher costs.
Zeng Wensheng attended the "Strengthening Energy Resilience, Protecting Taiwan's Economy - 2026 Taiwan Energy Summit Forum" today. When asked by the media before entering the venue about whether the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant (Nuclear Third) should be restarted by 2028, he pointed out that Taipower submits applications to the review unit, and the approval timeline and required conditions are decided by the competent authority, the Nuclear Safety Commission.
Regarding the issue of nuclear power plant fuel rods, Zeng Wensheng said that different nuclear units use different fuel rods, all of which must be specially designed. Even the layout when placed in the reactor core is meticulously calculated, hence fuel rods from Nuclear First, Nuclear Second, Nuclear Third, and Nuclear Fourth cannot be interchanged.
At the same time, he emphasized that Taipower Company, in accordance with the Legislative Yuan's 2018 resolution, was required to send the Lungmen Nuclear Power Plant (Nuclear Fourth) fuel rods overseas. Therefore, Taipower sent the Lungmen fuel rods overseas in accordance with the Legislative Yuan's resolution.
Zeng Wensheng further explained that if the Lungmen fuel rods were to be kept domestically, the safety protection specifications required for Lungmen would be higher. Taipower's nuclear department employees had assessed that if Lungmen fuel rods remained domestically, measures such as police deployment would be needed, and the related costs would be higher. Overseas storage costs approximately NT$100-200 million per year. (Edited by Lin Shu-yuan) 1150506
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(Central News Agency reporter Wu Shu-wei, Taipei 6th) Regarding the issue of nuclear power plant fuel rods, Taipower Chairman Zeng Wensheng stated today that nuclear power plant fuel rods are specially designed, and fuel rods from Nuclear First, Nuclear Second, Nuclear Third, and Nuclear Fourth (Lungmen) cannot be interchanged. Taipower is sending the fuel rods for overseas storage in accordance with a resolution by the Legislative Yuan, with an annual cost of approximately NT$100-200 million. Furthermore, it has been estimated that storing Lungmen fuel rods domestically would incur higher costs.
Zeng Wensheng attended the "Strengthening Energy Resilience, Protecting Taiwan's Economy - 2026 Taiwan Energy Summit Forum" today. When asked by the media before entering the venue about whether the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant (Nuclear Third) should be restarted by 2028, he pointed out that Taipower submits applications to the review unit, and the approval timeline and required conditions are decided by the competent authority, the Nuclear Safety Commission.
Regarding the issue of nuclear power plant fuel rods, Zeng Wensheng said that different nuclear units use different fuel rods, all of which must be specially designed. Even the layout when placed in the reactor core is meticulously calculated, hence fuel rods from Nuclear First, Nuclear Second, Nuclear Third, and Nuclear Fourth cannot be interchanged.
At the same time, he emphasized that Taipower Company, in accordance with the Legislative Yuan's 2018 resolution, was required to send the Lungmen Nuclear Power Plant (Nuclear Fourth) fuel rods overseas. Therefore, Taipower sent the Lungmen fuel rods overseas in accordance with the Legislative Yuan's resolution.
Zeng Wensheng further explained that if the Lungmen fuel rods were to be kept domestically, the safety protection specifications required for Lungmen would be higher. Taipower's nuclear department employees had assessed that if Lungmen fuel rods remained domestically, measures such as police deployment would be needed, and the related costs would be higher. Overseas storage costs approximately NT$100-200 million per year. (Edited by Lin Shu-yuan) 1150506
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Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.