User:Jimmy Franklin/Kuosheng Nuclear Power Plant

The Kuosheng Nuclear Power Plant (also known as the Second Nuclear Power Plant, traditional chinese: 第二核能發電廠), located in Wan Li (萬里) in Taipei County, is Taiwan's second nuclear power plant, consisting of two units with an installed capacity of 985,000 kW each. The plant is owned and operated by the Taiwan Power Company.

The U.S. Bechtel Corporation was hired as consultants for the design and consulting for plant construction, with significant components supplied by GE and turbines from Westinghouse. Construction of the plant started in September 1974, with the building of the first unit complete on August 15, 1979, and loaded with nuclear fuel in January 1981. The construction of the second unit was completed a year later. Commercial operation of the units began in December 1981 for the first unit and March 1983 for the second unit.

The Kuosheng plant, like other nuclear power plants in Taiwan, uses seawater as a coolant, which is discharged back to the ocean. Such discharges have raised environmental concerns from environmental experts and fishermen because of the effects of the discharged heated water. In June 2010, the plant's alleged failure to maintain suppression pools, key in case of meltdown, was characterized as a "disaster" by a diving contractor who had worked at the Kuosheng plant site.

See also


 * List of nuclear power stations
 * List of power stations in Taiwan
 * Nuclear power in Taiwan
 * Taiwan Power Company

External Links

Taiwan Power Company

References


 * "The Thermal Discharges from Nuclear Power Plants in Taiwan" by Kuang Lung Fan, Chemistry and Ecology, Volume 6, Issue 1 - 4 March 1992, pages 213 - 224
 * About the Second Nuclear Power Plant
 * "Nuclear plant a 'disaster': contractor", Taipei Times, June 19, 2010, p.2