AboitizPower to help identify nuclear power sites
Aboitiz Power Corp. is working with the government in advancing the country’s nuclear energy goal by helping pinpoint potential sites.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Department of Energy (DOE) said it held talks with AboitizPower and the National Power Corp. (Napocor) for a possible partnership for the launch of a comprehensive feasibility study on identifying power plant sites.
The agency said this may include the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP). The government completed the BNPP in 1986, but this was never put into operation due to allegations of corruption and issues with safety.
The proposed collaboration seeks “to strengthen evidence-based and internationally aligned approaches to nuclear energy development by assessing site suitability, safety, security, regulatory readiness and infrastructure requirements in accordance with International Atomic Energy Agency standards,” the DOE said.
In February, the DOE said it had finalized an approval process for nuclear power developments as it hopes to integrate the technology into the Philippines’ electricity generation mix by 2032.
The licensing roadmap, it noted, was crafted after meeting over a hundred stakeholders from the private sector, academia, as well as 24 government agencies under the Nuclear Energy Program Inter-Agency Committee (NEP-IAC).
Patrick Aquino, director at the DOE and head of the NEP-IAC, said the proposed nuclear projects would undergo seven regulatory approvals. These include business registration and foundational permits and environmental clearances and nuclear siting requirements.
Aside from other energy sector-specific approvals, they also need clearance from the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority to build or obtain a provisional permit.
