Thousands protest in Taiwan against nuclear power plants

Forum Contacts RSS		RUSSIAN

RIA Novosti, PUBLISHED May 01, 2011

Over 13,000 people gathered in Taiwan's capital of Taipei to protest against using nuclear power industry, Kyodo news agency said on Saturday.

The protesters urged the country's authorities to develop alternative energy sources in order to prevent further nuclear disasters, similar to the one at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant.

The future of the nuclear energy industry came into the spotlight after a series of accidents at Fukushima nuclear plant, which was seriously damaged in explosions and fires following an earthquake and tsunami on March 11 .

Fukushima's operator has since been struggling to stop radioactive leaks from the plant's crippled reactors. Almost 80,000 people living within the evacuation zone were forced to flee their homes.

Taiwan has three working nuclear power plants, and is going to launch the fourth one.

The protesters demanded to shut down the operational plants and to turn the new facility into a museum to show the risks of nuclear energy.

Taiwan is regularly hit by the quakes as it lies in a seismically dangerous area, near the junction of the Eurasian tectonic plate and the Philippine Sea plate.

Topics: Asia

Other news:

Russia ready to finance Egypt first nuclear plant

Russia confirmed its participation in a tender to build Egypt's first nuclear power plant and said it was willing to help finance the project.

ARMZ acquires Australian uranium producer in $1.2 bln deal

ARMZ will pay eight Australian dollars per share, which represents a 15.5 percent premium on the average market price for 20 trading days.

Russia to start building Turkish NPP in 2013

Russia will start building Turkey's first NPP estimated at $20 billion in 2013, Russian ambassador to Ankara Vladimir Ivanovsky said.

Hero of the day

Alexander Chistozvonov: end of the Romantic period

Today, the army of managers is earnestly believing that one can take the man responsible for the licensing of alcoholic beverages, and put it on licensing, and even to supervise the nuclear reactor.

INTERVIEW

Christophe Behar
We are preparing now a review of these design options and the decision has to be made in 2012, by the public authorities. ASTRID basic and detailed design will be launched afterwards.

OPINION

Vladimir Rychin
AREVA will return the foreign workers to the uranium deposits in Niger, which have been evacuated after the September seizure of seven hostages.