The Philippines plans to restore its mothballed Bataan nuclear power plant.Not everyone thinks it’s a good idea The Philippines plans to revive a nuclear power program — abandoned in 1986 after the deadly Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine — to add atomic energy to its power mix, local media reported. The country’s President Rodrigo Duterte signed a corresponding executive order on February 28 as part of preparations to phase out coal-fired power plants. The program has continued on the table for years…
The Philippines plans to revive a nuclear power program — abandoned in 1986 after the deadly Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine — to add atomic energy to its power mix, local media reported.
The country’s President Rodrigo Duterte signed a corresponding executive order on February 28 as part of preparations to phase out coal-fired power plants.The program has on the table Over the years, amid persistent power shortages across the country
Observers said the order, announced on March 3, could be a major milestone for an economy that not only experiences frequent power outages but also has some of the highest electricity prices in the region. But they added that reopening would also worry opponents.
The revival of the Bataan nuclear power plant?
The main focus of the plan is to find ways to restore the Bataan nuclear power plant in Bataan province, located 100 kilometers west of Metro Manila. The plant was built between 1976 and 1985 on the orders of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, but after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, opposition to nuclear energy in the Philippines grew as opposition to nuclear power grew. , so it was never put into use. Marcos was ousted that same year.
Construction of the plant, which cost $2.2 billion, is planned to generate 623 megawatts. But the project has been heavily criticized for its potential threat to public health, especially because the plant is located in a seismic zone near the volcano.
‘Viable alternative energy’ Duterte
But Duterte said the reopening of power plants would be a “milestone” for the country to tackle power shortages and high electricity prices. He believes nuclear power will be used as a “viable alternative baseload energy source” as the Philippines seeks to retire coal-fired power plants to help meet climate goals.
Philippine Energy Secretary Alfonso Cousy also publicly expressed his support for nuclear power, saying that nuclear power is “very safe” and will help the Philippines achieve energy security.
“The Filipino people are spending billions of dollars on this unused project,” he added, referring to the Bataan factory.
“Why not use it so we have extra energy that will also make our electricity cheaper?” he said.
Outdated technology, crumbling structures
However, experts say restarting the Bataan power plant is very dangerous, if not impossible, because its technology is outdated and the structure is crumbling after 36 years of inactivity. Only since 2009 has it operated as a tourist attraction and a science and technology museum, helping to cover maintenance costs.
They pointed out that, if anything, a new nuclear power plant in the Philippines should be planned from scratch according to today’s technical and safety standards.
However, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the son of the late dictator and front-runner in May’s presidential election, said he planned to “revisit” the Bataan nuclear power project, without elaborating.
