Three months before he steps down, President Duterte signed an executive order emphasizing the need for the country to revive its nuclear power program, amid the steadily rising global fuel prices, that could affect the energy mix of the country.
AMIDST uncertainties in global supply of bunker fuel exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine, the Duterte administration wants to diversify the power mix by reviving the long-mothballed nuclear power plant in Bataan.
The president signed an executive order allowing the country to tap the nuclear power as an alternative energy source, over a year after an interagency body submitted its recommendation.
“The National Government commits to the introduction of nuclear power energy into the state’s energy mix,” said Executive Order (EO) No. 164 that was signed on February 28, three months before he steps down.
Reliable, sustainable
The President said he looked into the economic, political, social and environmental aspects in reviving the country’s nuclear power program.
“For the country to achieve its sustained growth targets, it must ensure that it has a reliable, secure, sustainable, quality and affordable electricity supply, including sufficient reserve to guarantee that there will be no disruptions in power supply,” he said.
Viable source
Duterte said nuclear power should be tapped as a “viable baseload power source” alongside renewable energy, in order to address the projected decline of coal-fired power plants.
In 2020, the Philippines’ power mix consisted of 57 percent coal, 21 percent renewable energy, 19 percent natural gas, and 2 percent oil- based.
The EO also directed the Department of Energy to conduct a pre-feasibility study on the viability of introducing nuclear power.
The Nuclear Energy Program Inter-Agency Committee (NEP-IAC) was also tasked to make recommendations on the use and viability of the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) and the establishment of other facilities for the utilization of nuclear energy.
The $2.2- billion BNPP (considered a white elephant even during its early days during the Marcos administration) was completed in 1984 but mothballed in 1986 after the ouster of dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
His son, Ferdinand Jr., is currently running for president and is also open to nuclear power use and in exploring the possibility of utilizing mothballed BNPP.
Energy security
Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi has endorsed the use of nuclear power, claiming it is safe and will help the Philippines achieve energy security.
“Nuclear power is cheaper and more consistent than other energy sources,” said Caloy A. Arcilla, director of the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute.
Energy Undersecretary Gerardo D. Erguiza, Jr. said the government needs to come up with a law passed by Congress to establish the regulatory framework for the nuclear energy program.
It will also be up to the next administration if it will support the nuclear energy program, Erguiza told Business World.
“2027 is the earliest possible [time when we can build a traditional] nuclear power plant,” he said during a virtual press conference on Wednesday.
He said that those nuclear power plants with small modular reactors, which are being eyed in off-grid areas, can be built as soon as the regulatory framework is already in place.
Possible sites
Sixteen areas are being considered as possible locations for nuclear power plants, 13 of which have been on the list since 1980s.
These areas are: Bataan, Batangas, Cagayan, Negros Occidental, Zamboanga del Norte, Quezon, General Santos City, and Sulu.
“These areas are considered because they are isolated, the availability of the cooling system, basically based on the general standards, but again, there is a process,” Erguiza said.
Safety concerns
Civic groups have been opposing the possible use of nuclear energy in the country, citing environmental and safety concerns.
Antonio Gabriel M. La Viña, a climate justice advocate, said the government has yet to convince the public that safety issues about nuclear plants “can be properly addressed.”
“I think Bataan is a nonstarter because of its location and the sheer density of people in Central Luzon,” he said.
Greenpeace, In a statement, urged the government to revoke the order, saying it is a “blatant disregard” of the public’s call for a concrete, sustainable, and safe solution to the energy crisis through renewable energy.
“Nuclear is the most dangerous and most expensive source of electricity and is the last thing the Filipino people need at a time when we are already deep in debt and trying to recover from a major health crisis,” it said.
Greenpeace said the next administration should ensure that its first order of business is to scrap the order.
“The next administration will already inherit a huge debt burden and the pursuit of nuclear will make this even heavier due to steep capital costs for construction, operation of nuclear plants, enormous costs of radioactive fuel storage, and costs for managing a nuclear incident that can reach billions of dollars, as well as price volatility as almost all sources of uranium are in conflict areas.”
The group said it is “unfortunate” that the order came right after the release of a report by the United Nations-led Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which highlighted the need for nature-based solutions and strong political commitment to address the climate crisis.
Good direction
Earlier, Erquiza said the country is “in a good direction regarding our nuclear (energy prospects) and Russia is in the picture as one of the principal providers of nuclear power plants as they have good technology.”
He said the Russia-Ukraine conflict is not expected to affect plans for a Russian role in developing nuclear infrastructure here.
In 2017, the Philippines signed an agreement with the Russian State Atomic Energy Corp. to help develop facilities preparatory to building power plants.
“We don’t see any problem with Russia on (energy) cooperation because it’s cooperation in building the nuclear infrastructure. We won’t immediately build a power plant, but… we have to come up with many studies (on) safety, security, (fuel) management, and radiation,” he said.
The DoE hopes to complete by April a feasibility study with Russia on nuclear energy.
Collaborations
The Philippines also has an agreement to collaborate with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. to develop small modular reactors, and plans to start in two weeks a collaboration with the US to study modular technology as well.
Small modular reactors are fission reactors capable of producing up to 300 megawatts.
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