According to “Joint News Network” of Taiwan, the nuclear fuel rods of Taiwan Lungmen nuclear power Plant* (“Nuclear Factory IV“) were transported away from the plant on July 4 and are expected to be shipped to the United States for sale. Based on the follow-up plan of Taipower, Nuclear Factory IV, which has never been put into operation, will be transformed into a thermal power plant after dismantling.
The report said that Taipower had the first batch of 80 bundles of fuel rods stored in eight containers for shipment to the United States. According to the plan, the fuel rods will be sent back to their producers: Global Nuclear Fuel Company (GNF), that will dismantle and store them first, and then resell them all to the right buyer.
Besides, Taipower will also ship a second batch of 120 bundles of nuclear fuels in September, and all of the 1,744 bundles in “Nuclear Factory IV” will be shipped out before 2020. These nuclear fuels have never been put into commercial operation since they were shipped to Taiwan in 2008.
* Lungmen Nuclear Power Plant is located in New Taipei City, Taiwan. It is the fourth nuclear power plant in Taiwan with two advanced boiling water reactors. In 2014, due to the anti-nuclear movements on the island, it was sealed immediately after finishing construction and testing, and never put into operation.
