Taiwan will hold a national referendum on restarting a nuclear power plant that it shut down earlier this month, potentially opening up a path to reversing the government’s nuclear phaseout policy.
The referendum, to be held on 23 August, will decide whether the Maanshan-2 nuclear power plant should resume operations, according to a statement from Taiwan’s Central Election Commission.
Maashan-2, in Pingtung County, southern Taiwan, was Taiwan’s last operating commercial nuclear power plant and was permanently shut down by state nuclear operator Taipower at midnight on 17 May, fulfilling the government’s promise to make the Asian island nation “nuclear-free”.