Donnabelle L. Gatdula
Philippine Star

Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes said over the weekend that the government may take advantage of the offer of other countries to help the Philippines develop nuclear energy as a source of power.

“We are, of course, open to such proposal or offer. We need all the help we can get especially on technical matters,” Reyes said.

Reyes said it is best that “you open yourself for such support whether financial or technical”.

“We should take advantage of the experiences that other countries may share with us because we are technically starting all over again,” he said.

But Reyes said they are not certain yet if they would allow government or the private sector to undertake the nuclear power project. “We are still studying if it will be the government or the private sector that will build the nuclear facility or it could be a joint undertaking,” he added.

The energy chief, however, pointed out that whatever scheme they will choose, they would ensure that enough safeguards are in place before approving the construction of new nuclear power plant.

He said it is also important to note that aside from environmental concerns, the government should likewise think of energy security.

“We want to look at all options to avoid shortage of power in the future,” the energy secretary said.

An official from US-based National Association of Regulatory Utilities Commissioners (NARUC) earlier raised the possibility of helping the Philippines enter into a so-called Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) which helps emerging countries who want to use nuclear as a source of power.

Brian O’Connell, director of the nuclear waste program of the NARUC said the GNEP could assist those countries who would like to develop energy by using nuclear power.

“The gist of it is that for countries considering expansion into nuclear power that not have had it before, rather than have those countries all make investments enriching fuel for the nuclear plants and having to eventually solve the disposal problem,” he said.

He added that “this GNEP approach was let the more advanced countries collectively work together with the emerging countries for nuclear so they would not have to develop that capability either for nuke fuel or for disposal, but instead, lease the fuel from one of these countries.”

He said the Philippines may want to take a look at what the GNEP could provide.

“A power company, a corporation may go through government channels, whoever handles the relations with the US. It could be government to government,” the NARUC official said.

O’Connell said they have been getting positive response from the proposed GNEP.

“It’s very ambitious. It’s conceptual. There has been a good reaction for this idea from the advanced counties, like Russia, France, UK, Japan, and US is obviously pushing it. Some 21 countries have signed up,” he said.

Early this year, a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been tapped by the Philippine government to take a look at the plan to use nuclear as a possible source of power.

Based on the Philippine Energy Plan, it was projected that a 600-megawatt (MW) nuclear power plant will be built by 2025. This will contribute 0.885 million tonne oil equivalent (MTOE) to the projectred energy mix and will reach up to 3.54 MTOE by 2035.

Under the PEP 1998-2035, it was expected that a total capacity from nuclear will reach 2,400 MW by the end of the planning period.

The first nuclear power facility in the country, Philippine Nuclear Power-1 (Bataan Nuclear Power Plant) was supposed to operate commercially in 1986 but was mothballed due to extreme opposition from various environmental and cause-oriented groups.