Marcos admin open to selling Bataan nuclear power plant
The Philippine government might opt to sell the Bataan nuclear power plant (BNPP) in Morong, as the Department of Energy (DOE) saw encouraging results in reviving the mothballed facility.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said that aside from disposing of the asset, the government can also take part in the project, with the property marking its “contribution.”
While the decades-old BNPP was completed during the first Marcos administration, it has never achieved commercial operations as it was hounded by controversies due to concerns about corruption and safety.
The current administration is pushing for the activation of the first kilowatts of nuclear energy by 2032. It has also sought South Korea’s expertise to weigh the possibility of rehabilitating the 620-megawatt facility.
Feasibility study
“Right now, we are still assessing the viability of Bataan technically and also for the safety part,” Garin said on the sidelines of the World Nuclear Supply Chain forum held in Taguig City.
She said results of the feasibility study done by South Korea’s Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. Ltd. were “positive,” without disclosing specific details or figures.
Garin noted, however, that the study laid out several options, such as the possibility of refurbishing the facilities. It also included how much investment is needed to build a new one and if the country should lean towards bigger conventional reactors or small modular reactors.
“[This is] paid by Korea also, without commitment from the Philippines, whether to follow it or to construct what they advise. [But] the rights over the results are with them,” Garin said.
“We had good results, in the sense that, yes, we can do it in Bataan,” she added.
Potential sites
Asked for updates on the potential sites for nuclear energy, Garin said the agency has identified areas in Bataan, Pangasinan and Palawan.
Garin said that BNPP remains “one of the best sites” that the country has since the infrastructure is already there, including transmission lines.
But she acknowledged the need to improve public acceptance.
Last June, the local government in Morong approved a Non-Nuclear Zone Ordinance that prohibits the construction, operation and storage of nuclear power facilities and radioactive materials within the town.
In an earlier statement, the DOE said that public acceptance of nuclear energy had gained more backing, with a survey showing the approval increasing from 79 percent in 2019 to 82 percent in 2024.
