The temporary halt to the construction of Lungmen at the end of last year has led to a delay of over a year. Taiwan Power Company (Taipower), GE and a group of subcontractors are currently in talks over scheduling problems and compensation.
The parties involved are concerned that they may face additional liabilities should antinuclear politicians succeed in delaying the project further. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party is considering organising a referendum at the end of this year to try to put a stop to the project.
Since construction was allowed to resume in February (see NEI March 2001, p3) very little work has been carried out on the plant. Taipower’s contractors, including GE, have issued claims for additional compensation for the three-month delay. Furthermore, Taiwan legislators recently inspected the site to look for evidence that work was not carried out according to quality standards and that the construction has degraded the local environment.
In the very unlikely event that there are no further delays, the first of the two units will not be completed until mid-2006.
