President Ma Ying-jeou embarked on June 2 on a two-day "energy tour" which took him to energy facilities throughout Taiwan. In the morning, he visited the liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal of the Chinese Petroleum Corp. (CPC), Taiwan, at Yongan Township in Kaohsiung City, the Yongan Salt Beach Solar Power Station of the Taiwan Power Company (Taipower), and Taipower's Hsinta Thermal Power Plant. In addition to touring the power generation facilities, the president also received briefings on the state of thermal power generation using coal, natural gas, and solar energy, and learned more about Taiwan's energy options.
While at Taipower's Hsinta Thermal Power Plant, the president, along with journalists and senior members of the media, received a briefing by Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Woody Tyzz-Jiun Duh (杜紫軍) on Taiwan's energy policies and various possibilities with regard to power generation. Afterwards, a number of officials, including Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research Chairman Liang Chi-Yuan (梁啟源), Taiwan Research Institute President Tsai-Yi Wu (吳再益), Minister of Economic Affairs Chia-Juch Chang (張家祝), and representatives from other agencies and organizations, responded to questions from the media regarding Taiwan's future energy mix, and how to ultimately achieve the goal of realizing a "nuclear-free country."
In the afternoon, the president and his entourage headed to Taipower's Third Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County to inspect its emergency seawater pumps, low-level waste storage facility, and a 50,000-ton raw water reservoir. After listening to a briefing from the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), the president then exchanged views with representatives of the media on Taiwan's energy policy.
The president then summed up his thinking, pointing out that Taiwan is severely deficient in energy sources and relies on imports for over 98% of its energy needs. Consequently, as Taiwan considers potential sources of energy, such as natural gas, wind power, and solar power, the nation cannot afford to overlook any possible option, he said. Given Taiwan's heavy reliance on energy imports, he said, the topic is of great importance to everyday lives and economic development, not to mention national security. For instance, the president stated, Taiwan relies on imports of natural gas, the vast majority of which comes from nations that don't maintain diplomatic relations with the ROC. In the summer months, Taiwan only has capacity to store seven days of its natural gas needs, and if imports are disrupted by a typhoon or manmade factors, the nation could face a supply crisis. This would put Taiwan in an extremely difficult situation, given its fragile energy reserves.
The president noted that a well-rounded energy policy provides for diversified sources of energy, energy independence, and high energy efficiency. He particularly pointed to solar energy, wind energy, and geothermal energy sources, saying that while these sources contribute to energy independence, they are by no means efficient. President Ma stated that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's International Energy Agency (IEA) regards nuclear power as a quasi-indigenous energy resource, so it would behoove us in Taiwan to think long and hard about whether we should completely abandon the use of nuclear power right away due simply to fears about earthquakes.
In addition, the president then talked about whether there is a global trend to abandon nuclear power. According to data compiled by the MOEA, he said, 31 nations rely on nuclear power, and the people in these countries account for 62% of the world's population and over 75% of global GDP. In particular, he noted, emerging nations and oil-producing countries are aggressively developing nuclear power. If nations such as the United States or Russia already have abundant petroleum and natural gas reserves, he asked, why are they still opting for nuclear power as an energy source? Research carried out by the IEA, he said, indicates that petroleum energy sources will be depleted within 100 years, and this must be kept in mind. In addition to technical considerations, he mentioned, the topic of nuclear energy also involves value judgments. Some people simply do not like nuclear power, which is the main reason why the government has decided to hold a referendum to settle the issue.
The president stressed that above and beyond the safety of the nation's Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, his trip was intended more importantly to focus on the nation's energy policy. The government, he said, is mindful of energy safety and the stability of energy sources, but also needs to consider the requirements of Taiwan's export-oriented economy. Before achieving the goal of a nuclear-free country, he remarked, the government will need to find energy alternatives. The president stated that this trip was not an attempt to convince the public of anything, but merely to impress upon the public that at present, the First, Second, and Third Nuclear Power Plants provide 18.4% of Taiwan's energy, and a timetable for their decommissioning is already in place. The Fourth Nuclear Power Plant will have the capacity to provide 8% of the nation's if it is commissioned, so people need to clearly understand whether they can live with the economic impact if the referendum results in a decision to halt construction of the plant and causes a shortfall in energy supply, he said. The president added that entire public needs to face this issue together.
At the end of the first-day itinerary, the president for the first time stayed over night at the Third Nuclear Power Plant.
Among those accompanying the president were Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺), Minister of Economic Affairs Chang, Deputy Secretaries-General to the President Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) and Hsiung Kuang-hua (熊光華), Taipower Chairman Hwang Jung-Chiou (黃重球), Taipower President Wen-Chen Chu (朱文成), and National Tsing Hua University Institute of Nuclear Engineering and Science Director Ge-Ping Yu (喻冀平).