The operation of the No. 4 nuclear power plant, which was originally scheduled to begin at the end of this year, may be postponed to 2013, at the earliest. With safety being the top priority, the Atomic Energy Council is demanding Taiwan Power Company to complete a thorough inspection of the facility before moving forward with its plan.

Originally, fuel investments at the No. 4 nuclear power plant were scheduled for the end of last year. Earlier this year, Taiwan Power predicted that the plant would not begin operating until the end of next year.

Further delays resulted in the wake of Japan's nuclear meltdown, which prompted the Atomic Energy Council to order comprehensive nuclear safety reviews of all four of Taiwan's nuclear power plants.

According to the AEC, Taiwan Power will have to complete its facility inspection of the fourth plant before it can apply for fuel investment. The AEC estimates that the fourth plant will begin operating no earlier than 2013.

Taiwan Power, meanwhile, previously stated that delays cost the nation 400 million NT to 600 million NT per month.

Nevertheless, both the AEC and Taiwan Power recognize that safety comes first, and say that the fourth plant will not commence operations until it passes all safety tests.