Nuclear power in the Philippines

Nuclear power was considered as a solution to the 1973 oil crisis, in which the Philippines was affected. The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was built in the early 1980s but never went into operation. The Fukushima nuclear disaster gave pause to efforts to revive the plant.[1]

There have been proposals in 2009[2][3] and 2016[4][5] to operate the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.

The Philippine Research Reactor-1 had been operated from 1963 until 1988 by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute in Quezon City.[6]

In December 2020 a group of experts from International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was invited by the Philippine government to review the country's nuclear infrastructure. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi has been quoted saying that the mission will help with finally making nuclear power a part of the country's energy mix.[7]

The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant
Main article: Bataan Nuclear Power Plant

Under a regime of martial law, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos in July 1973 announced the decision to build a nuclear power plant. This was in response to the 1973 oil crisis, as the Middle East oil embargo had put a heavy strain on the Philippine economy, and Marcos believed nuclear power to be the solution to meeting the country's energy demands and decreasing dependence on imported oil.[8]

Construction on the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant began in 1976. Following the 1979 Three Mile Island accident in the United States, construction on the BNPP was stopped, and a subsequent safety inquiry into the plant revealed over 4,000 defects (not confirmed). Among the issues raised was that it was built near major faults and close to the then dormant Pinatubo volcano.

Issues of overpricing, bribery, corruption, mismanagement were also raised.[9][10][11]

In 2009, a bill was filed in the Philippine House of Representatives to recommission and operate the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.[12][13] The cost for rehabilitation was placed at USD 1 billion, to be shouldered by taxpayers through loans and additional charges to consumers.[14] The Center for Environmental Concerns-Philippines, No to BNPP Revival, and Advocates of Science and Technology for the People (AGHAM), and the Freedom from Debt Coalition opposed the bill, saying that the nuclear plant was defective and dangerous and harbored technical flaw.[12][13] Concerns were also raised in the House of Representatives concerning nuclear waste disposal, geological hazards, and unfinished debt payments.[13]

The Department of Energy of the Philippines in 2016 revived proposals to operate the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant,[15] with the cost for rehabilitating the plant estimated at USD 1 billion.[15] Despite a promising project to provide cheaper and more sustainable source of energy,[16] issues were raised against the plant in the Philippine Senate and by Greenpeace Philippines, No to BNPP, Nuclear Free Bataan Movement, and Balanga (Bataan) Bishop Ruperto Santos regarding corruption, cost, and safety.[9][15][17]

See also

References
  1. John Ruwitch (2 February 2012). "Analysis: Southeast Asia goes slow on nuclear". Reuters.
  2. "After Cha-Cha Railroading, Congress Prepares to Rush BNPP Bill". STOP BNPP Revival Online. June 3, 2009. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  3. Merueñas, Mark (February 2, 2009). "Proponents, critics clash at House deliberation on BNPP revival". GMA News Online. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  4. Loresco, Shadz. "Why revive the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant?". Rappler. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  5. Algo, John Leo (2018-05-22). "Speak out: Philippines should not pursue nuclear". Sunstar. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  6. Santoro, David (July 2013). "ASEAN's Nuclear Landscape – Part 1" (PDF). Issues & Insights. Center for Strategic & International Studies. 13 (10): 1–6. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  7. "Philippines Considering Nuclear Energy". The ASEAN Post. 2019-12-25. Retrieved 2021-01-07.
  8. ABS-CBN Interactive
  9. "Russian envoy's remarks on nuke plant the truth – bishop". Inquirer. April 10, 2018. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  10. "Outsize cost—and risks". Inquirer. November 15, 2016. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  11. Señase, Jose Rodriguez T. (2016-12-04). "Resurrecting Another Marcos Era Ghost A Bad Idea: Bataan Nuclear Power Plant". AEC News Today. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  12. "Group warns of nuclear plant's earthquake vulnerability". GMA News Online. April 22, 2009. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  13. Chavez, Leilani (December 24, 2009). "Push to revive Bataan nuclear plant timely?". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  14. https://www.greenpeace.org/seasia/ph/PageFiles/102369/the-case-against-nuclear-power.pdf
  15. Estanislao, Anna (September 1, 2016). "Nuclear power: A go or no?". CNN. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  16. Agaton, Casper Boongaling (2019). A Real Options Approach to Renewable and Nuclear Energy Investments in the Philippines. Germany: Logos Verlag Berlin GmbH. p. 54. ISBN 978-3-8325-4938-1.
  17. Macatuno, Allan (September 21, 2016). "Reviving a relic of Marcos dictatorship". Inquirer. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
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