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Taiwan Economics Minister Ming-hsin Kung says nuclear power plant restarts will be accelerated to support AI and semiconductor production

Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at 01:00 AM

Taiwan is accelerating the restart of its No. 3 nuclear power plant and planning to reactivate two decommissioned plants to secure sufficient energy for the growing power requirements of semiconductor manufacturing and AI infrastructure. Economics Minister Ming-hsin Kung stated that safety inspections are underway and a formal plan will be submitted this month, with a potential restart as early as next year depending on equipment condition.

Context

Taiwan is pivoting its energy policy to support the immense power requirements of the global AI and semiconductor sectors. Economics Minister Ming-hsin Kung announced that the government is accelerating plans to restart decommissioned nuclear power plants, stating that a formal restart plan for Nuclear Power Plant No. 2 (Kuosheng) and No. 3 (Maanshan) will be submitted by March 2026. Minister Kung noted that if safety inspections determine the equipment is in good condition, the restart timeline for the Maanshan facility could be shortened significantly, potentially resuming operations as early as 2028. This shift addresses a critical supply chain bottleneck as TSMC, United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), and ASE scale operations. TSMC alone is projected to consume nearly 24% of Taiwan’s total electricity by 2030, driven by energy-intensive EUV lithography processes. By reversing a decade-long nuclear phase-out policy, Taiwan aims to provide a stable, low-carbon baseload to secure its position as the primary manufacturing hub for advanced AI chips amid concerns that fossil-fuel dependency—currently at 85% of the energy mix—jeopardizes long-term energy security.

Sources (11)

Taipower to submit plan to restart nuclear plants - Taipei Times Taiwan's Energy Future: Nuclear or Renewables? - IEEE Spectrum [News] TSMC’s EUV Program Cuts Peak Power 44%, Projected to Save US$22.4M by 2030 Nuclear Power in Taiwan - World Nuclear Association Taipower to submit restart plan for 2 nuclear power plants in March 2026 - OCAC.R.O.C.(TAIWAN) – News Taiwan To Submit Nuclear Restart Plans And Will Consider Developing SMRs And Fusion Energy Taiwan shuts down its last nuclear power plant, jeopardizing its energy security Nuclear Safety Oversight Never Slows Down

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