Analysis: How Would Small Modular Reactors Shape Taiwan's Energy Supply?
Taiwan’s Nuclear Safety Commission says it’s looking to invest in a four-year plan for developing small and micro modular nuclear reactors. TaiwanPlus spoke with Yeh Tsung-kuang from National Tsing Hua University to find out how these small reactors might reshape the nation’s energy supply.
What are some benefits and shortcomings of small modular reactors, or SMR, and micro modular reactors, or MMR?
If these reactors encounter accidents such as loss of coolant accidents, the cores of these reactors can be cooled down by just air. So air circulation will be able to cool down the reactor.
SMRs or MMRs are very appropriate for local electrical demand.
For example, TSMC. For each fab they can have one small modular reactor with 300 megawatt output to be the electricity source of the fab. The benefits are it would not have to rely upon the grid provided by Taiwan Power Company.
And plus, like you said, they are modular units. So if you do need larger power, you can connect all these. For example, three modules.
The only shortcoming for SMR is the cost for each kilowatt hour electricity would be more expensive than the electricity provided by large nuclear power plant because it's small.
What are some challenges these companies in Taiwan would face if they want to adopt SMR or MMR?
Nuclear Safety Commission, they do not have the experience of reviewing the installation of small modular reactor.
Second, according to the current Electricity Act, nuclear power facilities can only be operated by nation owned company.
If SMR is going to be imported into Taiwan and to be adopted by local industry, the Electricity Act must be revised. And I know the Legislative Yuan is going to evaluate this revision of Electricity Act pretty soon because they all think SMR might be appropriate for future application of nuclear energy in Taiwan.
What about nuclear waste, or spent fuel left behind? How does SMR or MMR deal with that?
If you go for a fast breeder reactor with SMRs, for example, they would consume the spent nuclear fuel from traditional nuclear power plant. So it would effectively reduce the amount of spent nuclear fuel in the current nuclear power plants and itself would also breed more fissionable nuclear fuel by itself.
According to the estimation, this high level waste will be less than 25% of that produced in large nuclear power plant.
Is it possible for Taiwan to build these units domestically?
Yes, we do have the ability of building these reactors. But the problem is the procurement of nuclear fuel. Taiwan cannot purchase nuclear fuel directly to all the suppliers around the world. We must obtain nuclear fuel with the help of United States.
