Taiwan's Executive Yuan (cabinet) on 20 October approved revisions to the electricity business law, which aims to promote private-sector participation in renewable energy projects with the aim of phasing out nuclear power by 2025.

“Revising the law shows our determination to promote the move toward the abolition of nuclear power generation and change the ratios of electricity sources,” said President Tsai Ing-wen.

The government plans to start deliberations on the revised bill in the Legislative Yuan (parliament) in the near future, with the aim of passing it this year. The  March 2011 accident at the Fukushima in Japan led to a huge increase in anti-nuclear protests in Taiwan, where public opinion is generally opposed to nuclear power generation. In response to the sentiment, Tsai, who assumed the presidency in May promised to establish a nuclear-free society.

Taiwan’s three NPPs currently in operation will reach the end of their service lives of 40 years by 2025. The revised bill will clearly stipulate that operations of all the nuclear plants will be closed by that year with no possible extension of their operations. Work to build a fourth NPP at Lungmen has stopped in response to public pressure.