DOE gets go-signal on budget for nuclear study

The Department of Energy (DOE) has secured the go-signal of Senate Committee on Finance for 150 million allocation on its planned study that shall cement the country’s nuclear power program.

In a Senate hearing, the department explained its pressing need for said budget so it could advance steps onward to the Philippines next plunge into nuclear power development.

Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Energy, said they had seen the necessity of them giving approval of the fund allocation; while emphasizing on expectations that the study outcome must be comprehensive.

He noted the “system redundancies” that many countries with nuclear program had resorted to following the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear tragedy – that in turn had bloated capital spending for new nuclear builds; the requirement to develop human skills and expertise on nuclear management and power operations; and strengthening of both the policy and regulatory frameworks underpinning a nuclear program, among others.

After a botched nuclear power program back in the 1980s, the Philippines will effectively be re-taking ‘baby steps’ on building up human knowledge and expertise on the development, risk management and operation of such technology that could advance goals of energy security.

In a recent interview in Ljubljana, Slovenia relating to the operation of its close to 30-year Kr ko nuclear power facility, one prescriptive tone set had been that “relying solely on the knowledge and competence of foreign experts could come as a ‘dangerous play’ for countries intending to take their foray into nuclear power in their energy mix agenda.”

Dr Andrej Sistrar, director of Nuclear Safety Administration of Slovenia’s Ministry of Infrastructure, noted that engaging foreign experts for a country still developing the prowess and mastery of its people on nuclear power program could help, but it does not serve as the ultimate solution.

Priority in nuclear power program – more than addressing external factors on safety and security issues – would be on building up human resource on knowledge and technical expertise on nuclear technologies, he emphasized.

“It’s difficult giving specific advice to countries intending to have nuclear power program. But one major requirement and key would be on ensuring that you have people with extensive knowledge and expertise, that will be crucial on management of nuclear operations,” Sistrar said.

He opined that having experts could be a starting point for a country, but it would not be a sustainable paradigm, so training and capacity enhancement of locally-based people would be paramount.

Sistrar cited the experience of United Arab Emirates (UAE) wherein they imported human resource on their nuclear power facilities’ operations, but in the end, they have encountered some challenges. That then made the country realized that it needed to produce its own set of capable people on nuclear engineering and other facets of operations.