Hotai Alleges Opaque Process in Nuclear Plant Storage Bid; MOEA Respects Taipower's Plan for Legal Action

(CNA, Taipei, May 20, by Tseng Yun-ting and Hsieh Yi-hsuan) Hotai, a bidding company for the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant's indoor dry storage procurement, questioned the fairness of the selection process and filed a petition with the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) yesterday. Taipower responded by emphasizing that the bidding and review were conducted according to law and that it is considering legal action against Hotai for its accusation of disregarding nuclear safety. In response, Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin stated today that the MOEA respects and supports any future legal action Taipower may take. Hotai, a bidder for the Maanshan plant's indoor dry storage project, questioned defects in the winning bidder NAC's proposal, such as boron concentration not meeting standards. It suspected Taipower of lowering the threshold to rush the project in coordination with the restart of the Maanshan plant. Yesterday, Hotai's lawyer filed a petition with the MOEA, calling for a thorough investigation by the ministry and competent authorities. Taipower responded yesterday, stressing that the entire bidding and review process was conducted in accordance with the law, and that the procurement never involved "lowering the threshold to rush the project for the Maanshan plant's restart." Taipower expressed strong protest against Hotai's accusation of disregarding nuclear safety and stated it is considering legal action over the false allegations. The Legislative Yuan's Economics Committee today reviewed the 115th fiscal year's central government general budget, including the budgets for state-run enterprises under the MOEA, such as Taiwan Power Company and Taiwan Sugar Corporation. Before the meeting, Kung Ming-hsin told the media, "Nuclear safety is the top priority and cannot be compromised in any way." He added that the MOEA's stance is to respect and support Taipower's public explanation and any future legal action it may take. DPP Legislator Chiu Chih-wei also expressed concern over the dispute during his interpellation. Taipower Chairman Tseng Wen-sheng responded that he was very surprised and found it quite rare for Hotai to petition the MOEA directly, as any bidding disputes can be appealed to Taipower or the Public Construction Commission. He said that any criticism from the industry regarding the bidding process can be discussed for its legality. He also stated that Hotai's accusation that Taipower disregards nuclear safety is "unacceptable," and thus, he does not rule out filing a lawsuit. (Editor: Yang Kai-hsiang) 1150520