• Burmese
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
28 °c
Yangon
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home News Asia

In Power Hungry Philippines, Some Advocate a Nuclear Revival

Reuters by Reuters
May 23, 2018
in Asia
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0 0
A A
An interior view of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) is seen during a tour at the BNPP compound in Morong town, Bataan province, north of Manila, Philippines, May 11, 2018. / Reuters

An interior view of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) is seen during a tour at the BNPP compound in Morong town, Bataan province, north of Manila, Philippines, May 11, 2018. / Reuters

3.7k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

MORONG, Philippines/MANILA — Filipino Wilfredo Torres was hired as a technician for Southeast Asia’s only nuclear power plant in the 1980s, but has spent the past decade giving guided tours at the never-used facility.

The Philippines splashed out $2.3 billion on the 621-megawatt Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, but mothballed it after the collapse of a dictatorship and the devastating Chernobyl disaster.

Now, there’s a chance that Torres, 56, might get to see the plant in action before he retires in four years.

RelatedPosts

Quake Fails to Quell Russian Nuclear Romance; Naypyitaw Truth Concealed; and More

Quake Fails to Quell Russian Nuclear Romance; Naypyitaw Truth Concealed; and More

April 26, 2025
1.6k
Rosatom Green-Lights Myanmar Nuclear Plant in Quake-Wrecked Naypyitaw

Rosatom Green-Lights Myanmar Nuclear Plant in Quake-Wrecked Naypyitaw

April 23, 2025
1.4k
Export Dream Meets Grim Power Reality; Cronies Profit as Workers Flee Abroad; and More

Export Dream Meets Grim Power Reality; Cronies Profit as Workers Flee Abroad; and More

March 29, 2025
2.3k

As power demand soars in one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, the Philippines’ energy ministry is looking seriously again at nuclear power and urging President Rodrigo Duterte to fast track its revival.

“There’s still a few of us who have been here from the start who are hoping to see the plant running before we retire,” said Torres during a tour of the facility, nearly 200km (125 miles) northwest of Manila.

The Department of Energy has asked Duterte for an executive order declaring the Philippines ready for a nuclear power program, said Gerardo Erguiza, energy assistant secretary.

“With the need for cheaper, reliable power, nuclear is ideal,” Erguiza told Reuters. “It’s a template in successful economies.”

Previous attempts to pursue nuclear energy in the Philippines have failed due to safety concerns and because central to the plan is the revival of the Bataan plant, built during dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ rule.

Marcos ordered the Bataan nuclear plant built in 1976 in response to an energy crisis, convinced nuclear energy was the solution to the Middle East oil embargo of the early 1970s.

Completed in 1984, the government mothballed it two years later following Marcos’ ouster and the deadly Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

From 2009, the government opened the plant to tourists for a fee, helping defray the cost of maintaining it, along with an annual state budget that this year was 32 million Philippine pesos ($612,000).

While reopening the Westinghouse-built Bataan plant is an option, so is building a new nuclear facility, said Erguiza, acknowledging the former will “open up so many wounds” after costs came in more than four times the initial budget.

Biggest Issue

Coal fuels half of the Philippines’ power grid, with natural gas and renewables each accounting for over a fifth and oil the rest. With an economy growing as fast as China’s – at 6.8 percent in the first quarter – Manila expects energy consumption to triple to 67,000 MW by 2040.

By tapping nuclear – where upfront investment is high but fuel costs are lower – electricity costs will drop, said Carlo Arcilla, director of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute.

“The biggest issue in the Philippines is that we have some of the most expensive power in the world,” he said.

Philippine power rates, which are not state-subsidized, were ranked the 16th most expensive out of 44 countries surveyed in a 2016 study commissioned by power retailer Manila Electric Co . Japan topped the list.

Nuclear reactor builders Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co Ltd and Russia’s Rosatom submitted plans last year to rehabilitate the Bataan plant, at costs ranging from $1 billion to more than $3 billion, said engineer Mauro Marcelo who oversaw the maintenance and preservation of the plant before he retired in March.

Other companies that have expressed interest include China’s top nuclear power plant builder, China Nuclear Engineering and Construction, and Belgium’s Tractebel, said Marcelo.

Rehabilitating the Bataan plant would be the shortest nuclear route for the Philippines, taking about five years all up, versus about a decade for a new plant, said Marcelo.

“In my view, the nuclear policy may be issued during Duterte’s term,” said Marcelo. “But to start the Bataan plant, I think it’s still a long way to go.”

Duterte has said safety will be his top consideration in deciding whether the country will pursue nuclear energy.

‘Very Controversial’

Opposition to reviving Manila’s nuclear ambitions remains strong, with advocates citing a reliance on imported uranium, high waste and decommissioning costs, as well as safety concerns.

Geologist Kelvin Rodolfo has repeatedly warned against the activation of the Bataan plant, saying it sits on an active earthquake fault that runs through a volcano, currently dormant.

“A nuclear accident there would affect a much larger area than the Philippines alone, and so the Philippines cannot make the decision to activate (it) all by itself,” said Rodolfo.

He would like to see the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) make that judgment.

“I have every confidence that they would not approve it,” Rodolfo said.

IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano met with Philippine energy officials in February to discuss Manila’s possible nuclear plans. An IAEA review mission to the Philippines is planned later this year.

In the wake of Japan’s Fukushima disaster, the number of construction starts of nuclear reactors dropped from a high of 15 in 2010 to four last year – all in Asia, according to the World Nuclear Industry Status Report.

“Nuclear is very controversial and if we ever wanted to install it in the Philippines, it would not succeed without very strong intervention by the government,” said Antonio Moraza, president of Aboitiz Power, one of the country’s biggest power producers.

Your Thoughts …
Tags: Energy
Reuters

Reuters

...

Similar Picks:

Family Friend Helps Myanmar Junta Boss Buy Arms From Israel 
Junta Cronies

Family Friend Helps Myanmar Junta Boss Buy Arms From Israel 

by Aung Zaw
September 21, 2024
8.6k

A brush with the law in Thailand exposed the depth of casino boss and arms dealer Tun Min Latt’s links...

Read moreDetails
Tracking the Business Empire of Myanmar Regime Stalwart Moe Aung and His Siblings
Investigation

Tracking the Business Empire of Myanmar Regime Stalwart Moe Aung and His Siblings

by Aung Thit
September 4, 2023
7.2k

In the second of a two-part series, The Irrawaddy’s Investigation Desk examines more of the vast business interests of the children of...

Read moreDetails
Myanmar has been Running Out of Power Since the Coup: World Bank
Business

Myanmar has been Running Out of Power Since the Coup: World Bank

by Hein Htoo Zan
September 8, 2023
5.3k

The energy crisis will worsen as long as the junta is in control, expert adds.

Read moreDetails
‘Everyone Sits Outside’: Parks Offer Heatwave Relief in Myanmar’s Largest City
Burma

‘Everyone Sits Outside’: Parks Offer Heatwave Relief in Myanmar’s Largest City

by AFP
April 29, 2024
4.4k

Amid searing temperatures, and without power for hours a day due to post-coup energy disruptions, Yangon residents are taking refuge...

Read moreDetails
Russia Approves Moves to Build Nuclear Plant in Myanmar
Burma

Russia Approves Moves to Build Nuclear Plant in Myanmar

by The Irrawaddy
June 7, 2024
3.8k

Russia's government has reportedly approved plans to construct a low-power plant, which the regime says will be used for peaceful...

Read moreDetails
Eight Takeaways From Myanmar Junta Chief’s Meeting With Putin
Burma

Eight Takeaways From Myanmar Junta Chief’s Meeting With Putin

by The Irrawaddy
March 5, 2025
3.7k

The two sides reached deals to cooperate on nuclear and space technology, among many others, and the junta boss backed...

Read moreDetails
Load More
Next Post
US President Donald Trump gestures as he welcomes South Korean President Moon Jae-In at the White House in Washington on Tuesday. / Reuters

Trump Casts Doubt on Planned Summit With North Korean Leader

A Hindu villager reacts while identifying the bodies of relatives found by government forces in a mass grave near Maungdaw in northern Rakhine State on Sept. 27. Authorities suspected they were killed by insurgents in August. / Reuters

Amnesty International Shares Evidence of "Gruesome" ARSA Massacre

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

Trump’s Tariffs to Hit Myanmar’s Garment Manufacturers Hard

Trump’s Tariffs to Hit Myanmar’s Garment Manufacturers Hard

7 days ago
1.3k
What the ‘Snake Charmer’ Analogy Gets Wrong About Myanmar

What the ‘Snake Charmer’ Analogy Gets Wrong About Myanmar

16 hours ago
674

Most Read

  • Myanmar Junta Launches Space Agency With Russian Help

    Myanmar Junta Launches Space Agency With Russian Help

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Indian Army Accused of Deadly Strike on Separatists in Myanmar

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta Moves into Nawnghkio Outskirts

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • What the ‘Snake Charmer’ Analogy Gets Wrong About Myanmar

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta’s ‘Living Fence’ on Thai Border Falls to Karen Resistance

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Books
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.