Philippines to reconsider nuclear energy

20 August 2007

[Philippine Star, 20 August] The Department of Energy (DoE) of the Philippines is set to establish a special body to study the development of nuclear energy in the country, according to energy secretary Angelo Reyes. He said, "We have largely neglected the use of nuclear to generate power - which has been placed in the back, back, backburner - so nobody wants to look into it. So, I said, we should now re-examine the nuclear option for power generation." Reyes said the group would help the DoE develop an overall energy plan for the Philippines and that nuclear energy should be considered in order to reduce the country's dependency on imported oil and coal. In response to the 1973 oil crisis, President Ferdinand Marcos ordered the construction of the two-unit Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP). Construction of Bataan 1 - a 621 MWe Westinghouse pressurized water reactor - began in 1976 and it was completed in 1984 at a cost of $460 million. However, due to financial issues and safety concerns, the plant was never loaded with fuel and operated. In April 2007, the Philippine government made the final payment for the plant. The government is now considering converting the nuclear plant into a natural gas or hydrogen-fired power plant. Reyes said, "Whether you can activate it as a nuclear power plant or if it's cheaper, more economical, and more cost effective to put up a new one, the technology of the BNPP might be old already - in terms of structure of facilities, advances in technology and design - we have to look at that."

 

Further information

 

WNA's Emerging Nuclear Energy Countries information paper

WNN: South east Asian plans for nuclear

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