Gov’t opens door to nuke project proposals in ’26
Industry players wanting to enter the planned nuclear energy market may start proposing projects next year, the country’s energy chief said.
Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Sharon Garin said that while small- and medium-sized modular reactors are not yet commercialized, the government hopes to begin entertaining nuclear energy proposals from the private sector.
“Our target basically is [for the] Philippines [to] be ready to accept applications for nuclear projects by 2026,” she told reporters on the sidelines of an event on Wednesday.
Powering up the industry by next year was crucial, Garin noted, to ensure that the goal of activating the first 1,200 megawatts (MW) of nuclear energy by 2032 will happen.
“That’s calculated. Apply-process-construct, then it would be on time for 2032, subject to the availability already of the SMR (small modular reactor) technology,” she said.
According to Garin, the deployment of SMR can be finished in four years. SMRs have a capacity of up to 300 MW each, with one MW enough to energize up to 1,000 homes.
The most aggressive group vying for a presence in the nuclear market is Pangilinan-led Manila Electric Co. The groups of Prime Infra and Aboitiz had likewise expressed interest in investing in this space.
Earlier this year, the energy official said the agency had begun assessing potential sites for the deployment of nuclear facilities in the Philippines.
The areas being considered were in Bulacan, Batangas, Masbate, Palawan and Bataan.
On the revival of the mothballed Bataan nuclear power plant, Garin said they expect to get the feasibility study from Korea by February next year.
“I think everybody wants the nuclear, in that sense, because it gives us more security. But this will not be just an executive action, but also legislative and also the local government,” she said.
In a separate statement on Thursday, the DOE said it had begun studying the environmental impact of nuclear energy, with the participation of other government agencies.
