NextGen Day

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte issued Executive Order (EO) 164, which now includes nuclear power’s potential in the country’s energy mix.

EO 164 was signed by the Chief Executive on February 28 and was released on Thursday.

In a news conference, Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Gerardo Erguiza Jr. said, “This policy marks the beginning of the national nuclear power program.”

The country “must safeguard the peaceful use of nuclear technology based on essential concepts of public safety, national security, energy self-sufficiency, and environmental sustainability,” according to the new policy.

Following the proposal of the Nuclear Energy Program Inter-Agency Committee (NEP-IAC), which completed a pre-feasibility study and public consultation on the matter, Duterte issued the policy.

Based on the experience of highly developed countries, the Chief Executive has acknowledged that nuclear power can be a reliable, cost-competitive, and environmentally benign source of energy through EO 164.

“In order for the country to fulfill its long-term growth goals, it must ensure that it has a dependable, secure, sustainable, high-quality, and inexpensive electrical supply, as well as sufficient reserve to ensure that there are no power outages,” the policy stated.

It goes on to say that nuclear energy will help meet the growing need for clean energy, which is expected to grow by 4.4 percent yearly by 2040, resulting in an additional capacity of 68 gigawatts.

The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) was kept in the national nuclear program by the EO, although additional nuclear power plants would be pursued.

During the 1980s, the BNPP was the only nuclear power plant in the region, as the Philippines was one of the first Southeast Asian countries to pursue nuclear power.

However, due to charges of corruption and safety concerns over the usage of nuclear energy, the project was shelved.

According to a 2017 study conducted by Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM), the rehabilitation of the BNPP will cost between USD3 billion and USD4 billion.

The public is likewise becoming more accepting of nuclear energy’s possibilities.

“(A) Public Perception Survey on Nuclear Energy in 2019 found that nearly 79 percent of Filipinos approved or accepted the potential usage or refurbishment of an existing nuclear power plant,” according to the EO.

According to the same poll, 65 percent of respondents support the development of additional nuclear power facilities, and 78 percent are interested in learning more about nuclear energy.

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