Delays in nuclear bill to impact Philippines’ energy goals
Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is urging the government to give focus on the proposed bill seeking to establish a nuclear regulatory body. The utility giant said further delays can stall the realization of energy targets.
Ronnie Aperocho, executive vice president and chief operating officer Meralco, said the Philippines was “running out of time.” He noted that the Marcos administration is pushing for nuclear power as part of the energy mix by 2032.
“Any delay in the enactment of the bill will definitely cause a major backlog in terms of hitting that target,” Aperocho told reporters recently.
The COO was referring to the proposed Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act. The bill aims to create the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (PhilATOM), a body tasked with nuclear safety and security.
Aperocho, like other industry players, reiterated that gaining public acceptance remains a critical factor in deploying a nuclear power plant. This, given Filipinos’ safety concerns that could be traced back to Marcos Sr.’s Bataan nuclear project.
During the elder Marcos’ regime, the government built the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP). Completed in 1986, the facility was never deployed due to allegations of corruption and issues with safety.
Aperocho earlier floated again the possibility of reviving the BNPP, saying it could be the “quickest route” to adoption of nuclear power.
A feasibility study on this is expected to be completed “within the year,” he noted.
Research and training
“The government is really a big partner, a major stakeholder. That’s where we are, without the PhilATOM bill, I think, all we could do is to somehow conduct feasibility studies, train our people,” the Meralco official said.
The Meralco group, led by tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan, with businesses in power distribution and generation, has been aggressive in its nuclear push.
Early last April, the company inked a nuclear alliance with French state-owned utility group Electricité de France SA, focusing on potential site activities.
Aperocho said Meralco was still looking at the deployment of small modular reactors (SMR), with a capacity ranging from 300 to 450 megawatts.
He said that they were monitoring the ongoing construction of an SMR in Romania, which is expected to be operational by 2030.
“Once the target is met, definitely all the other interested companies, like us, would be closely looking into the performance of these first-of-a-kind SMRs. If that proves to be okay, we will certainly line up to participate,” he said.
