BNPP revival hopes still alive

TORONTO – Hopes for the revival of the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) are still very much alive, but the government is also studying its options in case reviving the facility is no longer feasible.

Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Sharon Garin told The STAR the agency is hoping to push through with a third-party feasibility study for the revival of the 620-megawatt BNPP.

“If it pushes through, then at least we can determine first if it’s feasible or not,” Garin said.

“If it’s no (feasible), then we (can) determine what we (can) do with it. And if it is, how much will it cost because you have to weigh that. If it is too expensive maybe it might be better to start a new one,” she said.

Among the options being considered if a revival is not feasible are converting the facility into a data center, or a training center for nuclear research and training by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute.

“I’m not going to say that it won’t be our first (nuclear) power plant or it will be. I’d rather wait for the objective assessment of another party rather than argue about it or debate over it,” Garin said.

“It’s better to just assess it. If it’s feasible, then let’s see how we go about it and maybe an investor will be interested in doing that because I’m sure there will be so much interest if the findings show that it’s feasible and the price is doable,” she said.

The original plan was to wrap up the agreement for the conduct of the feasibility study late last year, she said.

“However, there are things that we need to comply with. We need to consult with the agencies, even our principals,” the DOE official said.

“So now, we referred it to the agencies like the Office of the President, even to NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority). So we’re just waiting for their responses. Hopefully within the first half of this year that would be completed. I’m not sure how long a feasibility study will take, but hopefully as soon as they can, so that the debate will be finished,” Garin said.

The BNPP has been mothballed since 1986 after the Chernobyl disaster in northern Ukraine raised strong opposition against nuclear plants.

BNPP, however, is currently seen as the fastest route for nuclear generation in the Philippines amid the country’s potential for new nuclear developments, according to a coalition of Canadian nuclear experts.

“Bataan may be the shortest path to nuclear generation in the Philippines and it could be a strong nuclear infrastructure for new reactors,” Philippine Nuclear Services (PNS) director general Glen Crawford said.

PNS is a group of nuclear engineers and consultants with direct experience both in the international nuclear market, as well as in nuclear reactor refurbishment work.

The group sees the Philippines as uniquely suited for nuclear power given that it has a completed un-started reactor in BNPP, an archipelago of thousands of islands ideally suited for small modular reactors (SMR), as well as large densely populated areas that can support largescale facilities.

“The Philippines really has so much potential for nuclear (power) because for large nuclear, what you want is a dense population and Manila is one of the most densely populated cities in the world,” Crawford said.