TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan’s Atomic Energy Council (AEC) has approved a plan to restart the country’s No. 2 nuclear power plant reactor after completing its review, saying measures will be implemented to ensure operational safety. The measure is expected to face strong opposition.

In response to growing alarm over Taiwan's air pollution and requests from local governments to cut carbon emissions at coal-fired power plants in Taichung and Kaohsiung, the state-run Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) requested that the country’s No. 2 nuclear power plant reaction be restarted in order to maintain a consistent and adequate power supply.

The company filed an application with the AEC to restart the reactor in early February as it foresees a tight energy supply in mid-summer from June to August.

As for the safety concerns after having been shut down for more than 600 days, the AEC said onsite reviews over nuclear safety, radiation, and nuclear waste have been conducted by the agency, as well as a team of 11 experts and scholars from outside the agency, to ensure regulatory compliance before restarting the reactor.

The reactor has been shutdown since the middle of 2016 following a major overhaul, which resulted in a short circuit caused by problematic lighting conductors, according to the AEC.

Despite a likely power shortage, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said recently that there will be no hike in electricity rates until April at the earliest, and special considerations are expected for frugal consumers and small businesses.