According to the recommendations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Safety Standards Specific Safety Guide No. SSG-15 “Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel”, together with international practices, dry storage using passive natural air convection to remove decay heat is recommended as a preferred option over wet storage using active water cooling and purification systems. There are currently 145 dry storage facilities in operation worldwide, indicating that dry storage is a mature technology for storing spent nuclear fuel.

With reference to the experience of countries with advanced nuclear technology, Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) submitted an application for a construction license for the outdoor dry storage facility at the Chinshan Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in March 2007. After the Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC) reviewed and confirmed that the application complied with the regulatory requirements of Taiwan’s “Nuclear Materials and Radioactive Waste Management Act”, “Ionizing Radiation Protection Act”, and other regulations, and the environmental impact assessment review was completed by the Ministry of the Environment, the NSC issued the construction license in December 2008.

Since the commencement of the construction of the outdoor dry storage facility at Chinshan NPP in October 2010, the NSC has been conducting the construction inspections of the facility, including site preparation as well as water and soil conservation, reconstruction of Qianhua Bridge, construction of concrete pad, manufacturing and assembly of concrete casks and add-on shields, etc., to supervise and ensure that all related engineering works meet safety and quality requirements. Taipower completed the first stage of functional verification testing in accordance with the pre-operational plan in January 2013, and submitted the overall functional verification report. After a thorough review by the NSC, Taipower received approval to carry out the second stage of pre-operation (hot test) in September 2013.

The second design change of the soil and water conservation plan for the outdoor dry storage facility at the Chinshan NPP was approved by the New Taipei City Government on May 10, 2024. Taipower will implement improvement works for the water and soil conservation accordingly, and will be able to carry out the hot test after obtaining a certificate of completion for the water and soil conservation issued by the New Taipei City Government. The NSC has requested Taipower to be well-prepared for the hot test, to re-examine the functionality of the dry cask system, transport equipment, and various safety monitoring instruments, as well as to practice regularly some critical operations, such as fuel lifting, vacuum drying, welding, and on-site transportation, to increase facility operators’ proficiency. The NSC has also requested Taipower to invite professional technicians with practical experience to participate in hot testing activities to strengthen operational safety and emergency response capabilities. The NSC will also set up a special inspection team to conduct regulatory inspections during operations to ensure the safety of fuel transport and storage.