RESTRICTED
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Thames House South, Millbank, LONDON, SWIP 4QJ Telephone: Direct Line 01-211 Switchboard 01-211 3000
-
5008
I R Kenyon Esq
Nuclear Energy Department
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Downing Street East
London
SW1
11 January 1984
Dear lar.
Taiwan
Further to my letter of 6 January I have been approached by Alan Weaving about contacts he has had with Taipower.
Last December Mr Weaving presented a paper at a major conference in Taiwan to which Sir Walter Marshall had been invited. CEGB took the view that it was too sensitive for Sir Walter to go himself.
There have been continuing contacts between CEGB and Taipower over some years. Last year there was a major visit by Taipower representatives who were very impressed by what they saw of the CEGB's activities. This led to the invitation to Sir Walter from Mr Chu President of Taipower and Hsu the Chairman of the Taiwanese Chapter of the ANS.
Taipower proposed that CEGB should enter into a co-operation agreement with them and provided a draft based on an agreement they have apparently with EDF. Mr Blackman (CEGB Board Member) initially said that there was no great interest in this agreement.
During Mr Weaving's visit he, together with French, German and Canadian colleagues was invited to a 2 hour meeting with President Sun who is himself an ex-President of Taipower. Sun expressed great interest in a Taipower/ CEGB agreement. Mr Weaving inferred that with increasing prosperity in Taiwan the plans for a 4th nuclear power station will be re-activated?.
Taipower has previously been dependent on GE and Westinghouse and may wish to reduce the strength of this link. They have been thinking of purchasing a CE/NEI station. Indeed NEI claim to have already obtained a contract to supply two 900mw turbo generators.