The National Atomic Research Institute (NARI) has stepped up research into small modular reactors (SMRs) and nuclear fusion, as the government has signaled willingness to consider next-generation nuclear technologies, the institute said.
President William Lai (賴清德) and Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) have said Taiwan would not rule out advanced nuclear energy if concerns regarding safety and nuclear waste can be resolved.
The institute said it is building research capacity and operational expertise in anticipation of potential deployment.
GRAPHIC: Taipei Times
SMRs generate less electricity than conventional nuclear power plants, typically between 20 megawatts and 300 megawatts, and are promoted as safer, cheaper and easier to assemble. However, as such reactors rely on nuclear fission, they still produce radioactive waste.
The institute said it began reviewing global regulatory frameworks for SMRs in 2023.
Last year, it launched preliminary studies on pressurized-water SMR core simulations and seismic isolation technologies, funded by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), alongside a four-year SMR safety analysis project.
This year, the institute received NT$100 million (US$3.16 million) in NSTC funding for research into low-carbon and high-energy-density SMRs, focusing primarily on light-water reactor designs. It has also proposed a four-year project to further examine deployment strategies for SMRs and micromodular reactors.
Taiwan’s investments in SMR development are in line with global trends, with similar investments seen in Europe, North America and Asia, NARLabs said, citing as examples the US Department of Energy’s plans to invest US$3.2 billion in advanced reactor demonstration projects and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in March issuing a construction permit for the Natrium sodium-cooled SMR project.
There is also nuclear fusion, which is expected to generate less long-term radioactive waste compared with conventional fission reactors, but major challenges remain in sustaining such reaction.
NSTC Deputy Minister Lin Fa-jeng (林法正) said the council has supported nuclear fusion research since 2023, allocating NT$45.79 million that year, NT$45.32 million in 2024, and NT$80 million last year and this year.
The funding aims to accelerate research into the process, and narrow the gap between Taiwan and leading international programs, Lin said.
NARI said international efforts on nuclear fusion have two major approaches: magnetic confinement — led by the EU, Japan and China — and inertial confinement, which is the US’ focus.
In Taiwan, researchers are working on magnetic confinement fusion, including studies on high-temperature plasma physics, it said, adding that those efforts are led by the institute in cooperation with National Cheng Kung University, National Tsing Hua University and the National Center for High-performance Computing.
Taiwan does not currently possess the capability to design or develop nuclear reactors independently, but it has cultivated expertise in nuclear plant operations, maintenance and regulation, NARI said, adding that nuclear research efforts are focused on combining imported nuclear technologies with domestic operational and maintenance capabilities.
Environmental groups have expressed concerns that SMRs could still generate substantial amounts of nuclear waste in the absence of viable nuclear fusion.
SMRs would also face challenges related to earthquakes, tsunamis and potential military conflict, as well as difficulties in securing sites and the public’s acceptance, Green Citizens’ Action Alliance researcher Lin Cheng-yuan (林正原) said.
Given the uncertainties surrounding SMRs and nuclear fusion’s long development timeline, technologies such as renewable energy, energy storage systems, smart grids and improved energy efficiency remain the most practical tools in enhancing energy security and reducing emissions, he said.
Hsu Kuang-jung (徐光蓉), a retired professor of atmospheric sciences at National Taiwan University and former president of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union, also raised some concerns.
SMRs could produce 20 to 30 times more nuclear waste than large conventional reactors for the same amount of electricity generation, as SMRs lack the extensive shielding used in larger facilities, she said.
Enriched uranium used in some SMR designs could also be two to five times more concentrated than the fuel used in existing reactors, raising proliferation concerns, she added.
Hsu questioned the long-term prospects of fusion power, saying that one of fusion’s fuels, tritium, is expensive and difficult to obtain, and there significant engineering challenges remain regarding how reactor materials would withstand high-energy neutron bombardment.
This story has been amended since it was first published.
