The path will be long and challenging for the Philippines to become a nuclear-powered nation but the Department of Energy (DOE) remains determined on achieving that goal by the year 2032 with the use of small modular reactor (SMR) technologies that could generate an initial 1,200 megawatts, according to a news article by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…
Department of Energy (DOE) top and senior officials said the agency is targeting to get a 1,200-megawatt installed power capacity from nuclear resources using small modular reactor (SMR) technologies by 2032.
This was confirmed by DOE Secretary Raphael Lotilla as well as Undersecretaries Rowena Cristina Guevara and Sharon Garin to reporters in an interview in Taguig City on Thursday.
Lotilla said the government remains open to all technologies that will supply the growing power demand of the country in the coming years.
“(T)he commercial rollout of certain nuclear technologies are going to be there… (W)e can start planning for 2032 at the earliest. From the figures, you can see these are modest figures, 1,200 (MW) by 2032,” the DOE chief.
In her speech at the B2B Matching to Support Energy Transition (B2B SET), Guevara said this potential capacity would come from eight 150-MW SMRs.
She added that under the DOE’s Clean Energy Scenario (CES) 1, the 1,200 MW potential installed capacity for nuclear by 2032 is forecast to have additional 1,200 MW capacity by 2035 and another 2,400 MW by 2050.
Manila Electric Company has partnered with American firm Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. (USNC) to explore the potential of micro-modular reactors in the country.
AboitizPower Corp. is also exploring collaborations with NuScale Power Corp. and USNC in this sector.
Aside from the latest SMR technologies, Garin said the country is studying the viability of conventional nuclear reactors like the existing Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP).
Garin said the DOE is in talks with the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (KHNP) for a more comprehensive feasibility study for the BNPP.
She added that the feasibility study with KHNP will determine if the government should pursue BNPP as a nuclear energy source in the future.
She said around 12 sites, mostly in the western parts of the country, are being studied for future locations of nuclear power facilities.
Safety first – Meanwhile, Lotilla stressed that the government will ensure that the safety concerns on nuclear energy technologies will be addressed first before putting up nuclear power plants.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction about this recent development? Do you think the both the government and the private sector can make breakthroughs happen to pave the way for a nuclear-powered Philippines? Are there many people in your local community who are still afraid of nuclear energy because of what they saw in movies or TV shows that showed nuclear disasters?
You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.
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