To address the public's concern over nuclear safety after the crisis in Japan, Taipower stated yesterday in a press conference that there is no need to panic since the existing nuclear facilities on the island are all superior to the Fukushima plants in terms of safety features. And the company will also seek to improve its emergency planning based on the lessons learned from Japan this time.

As the design of Taiwan's Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant is extremely similar to that of the one in Fukushima, concerns are growing among the public about the safety of nuclear power.

Taipower held a special press conference on Tuesday to alleviate concerns, and said that Jinshan's safety design is superior to that of Fukushima.

The plant, which went into commercial operation in 1978, has a life span of about 40 years and will be decommissioned in 2018.

It has a seismic restraint factor of 0.3G, which is lower than the Fukushima plant's 0.6G.

Taipower says that it will be using new information from what happened in Fukushima to reassess the safety of the plant and make necessary improvements.

Jinshan and Kuosheng Nuclear Power Plant are both located in New Taipei City just 15 kilometers away from each other, and in close proximity to the densely-populated Taipei City.

When asked whether Taipower would have the ability to disperse area residents, provide adequate advance warnings, and transport seawater into reactors if a leak were to occur,

a company official said that it would provide recommendations as quickly as possible, but that the Central Disaster Relief Center would be ultimately responsible for deciding a plan of action.