CNA file photo

Taipei, March 26 (CNA) Electricity users are set to see a NT$5 (US$ 0.17) rise for every kilowatt-hour they consume in the future, given the averaged-out cost of building the fourth nuclear power plant and a government program to increase the use of green energy, Minister of Economic Affairs Minister Shen Jong-chin (沈榮津) said Monday.

He was responding to lawmakers who asked for his estimate of how the NT$283.2 billion construction cost for completing and then mothballing the No. 4 Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei will affect electricity bills for users.

In step with the Democratic Progressive Party government's plan to achieve its policy goal of a nuclear-free homeland by 2025, Taiwan is also increasing the proportion of recyclable energy to 20 percent of all energy use. The other 50 percent will be supplied by natural gas and 30 percent by coal.

Taking into account both the cost of building the fourth nuclear power plant and the cost of transforming the nation's energy structure, Shen said a NT$5 increase per kwh is likely in the future.

This is calculated based on a nine-year amortization of the NT$2,832 billion bill, which will see a NT$0.11 increase per kwh, plus the cost of generating more green energy to meet the 2025 target, he said.

If the timeframe for amortizing the nuclear power plant cost is set at 20, 25 or 30 years, the cost will be up NT$0.058, NT$0.047 and NT$0.039 respectively, according to the minister.

As the nuclear power plant could eventually be turned into a "general power park" worth some NT$20 billion, the final waste of Taiwanese taxpayers money in building and abolishing the 4th nuclear plant would be NT$260 billion, according to Shen.

State-run Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) is set to raise electricity rates by an average of 3 percent, or NT$0.0765 (US$0.0026) per kwh, with effect from April 1, although 80 percent of users will not be affected. 

(By Liao Yu-yang and S.C. Chang)
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