DOE: PH ‘nuclear power cooperation’ with Russia to stay
By Myrna M. Velasco – March 6, 2022, 8:00 PM
from Manila Bulletin
Despite the war hostilities raging between Russia and Ukraine, the Department of Energy (DOE) has declared that the Philippines “nuclear power deal” with Russia’s Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation for the conduct of a feasibility study for the targeted installation of nuclear power facilities in the country still stands.
Energy Undersecretary Gerardo Erguiza Jr. asserted “we don’t see any problem actually with Russia in that connection, because it is a cooperation on building nuclear infrastructure in the Philippines.”
He expounded “we came up with cooperation on nuclear; and we came out after that with cooperation on doing a feasibility study,” adding that one facet fleshed in the study is on the viability of repowering the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), a power generation behemoth that had been idled since the 1980s.
Beyond BNPP’s targeted return to operation, Erguiza indicated that the Russian cooperation study similarly explores feasibility of deploying small modular reactors (SMRs) in various chosen sites in the country.
“When we say building nuclear infrastructure, we’re not going to put up nuclear power plant immediately…we have to come up with many studies on safety, security, safeguards, human capacity, electrical grid, management, financing, radiation, fuel cycle, emergency preparedness – these are 19 items that are being studied,” the energy official stressed.
He added “in that framework of cooperation with Russia, we’re still at that phase – and we’re targeting to finish one of the cooperation areas this April. These are studies and we have not encountered any problem with Russia.”
Apart from Russia, Erguiza noted that the Philippines likewise cemented cooperation pact for parallel study with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co.Ltd. (KHNP), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Korea Electric Power Corporation.
This week, Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi will also be in the US for the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the State Department for a targeted study on SMR nuclear technology rollout in the Philippines.
“These are ongoing studies on framework because of energy security. We have to consider other sources of energy because we are being hamstrung by oil – that’s the problem with fossil fuels – that’s why we have to consider alternative sources of energy and nuclear is viable and doable option. In fact, critical because nuclear is baseload source of power plant,” the DOE official said.
He further opined that “coal, which is our main source, is facing tough challenge globally…it’s on the decline because of the policy on carbon emissions – that’s why we’re looking for alternative sources of energy.” Purposively, that is also the tenor of Executive Order 164 issued by President Duterte mandating the crafting of “nuclear energy program” for the Philippines.
Previously, on Rosatom’s submitted study outcome on BNPP’s rehabilitation, it was stipulated that the nuclear facility’s repowering could still be possible although there are array of issues that the DOE and the Philippine government in general will need to address — including legal and regulatory frameworks.
Cusi admitted that bringing back BNPP to operating state will be a Herculean task, not just from securing community approval, but also the scale of investment, which various studies estimated in the range of $1.0 billion to $2.0 billion.
