Nuclear power in the Philippines
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File:Executive Order No. 164, s. 2022 (20220228-EO-164-RRD).pdf in February 2022 included nuclear power in the country's energy mix.]]
Nuclear energy was considered as an alternative source of energy after the 1973 oil crisis affected the Philippines. The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was built by President Ferdinand Marcos in the early 1980s, but never went into operation after it was mothballed by Marcos' successor, President Corazon Aquino, who cited the possibility of a reactor meltdown after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, as well as the increase of the price of the plant.{{Cite news |last=Branigin |first=William |date=1986-05-16 |title=Chernobyl Prompts Philippines to Reassess Reactor |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1986/05/16/chernobyl-prompts-philippines-to-reassess-reactor/0d70a772-18f2-4bd3-9531-299034cba9b4/ |access-date=2022-07-08 |issn=0190-8286}} The Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 dampened further efforts to revive the nuclear power plant and nuclear energy in the country.{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-asia-nuclear-idUSTRE8110HM20120202 |title=Analysis: Southeast Asia goes slow on nuclear |author=John Ruwitch |date= 2 February 2012 |work=Reuters }} Proposals to revive the plant remain controversial.{{Cite web|url=https://stopbnpprevival.wordpress.com/2009/06/03/after-cha-cha-railroading-congress-prepares-to-rush-bnpp-bill/|title=After Cha-Cha Railroading, Congress Prepares to Rush BNPP Bill|date=June 3, 2009|website=STOP BNPP Revival Online|language=en|access-date=2019-02-17}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/146965/news/nation/proponents-critics-clash-at-house-deliberation-on-bnpp-revival/|title=Proponents, critics clash at House deliberation on BNPP revival|last=Merueñas|first=Mark|date=February 2, 2009|website=GMA News Online|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-17}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.rappler.com//business/industries/173-power-and-energy/107377-reopen-bataan-nuclear-power-plant|title=Why revive the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant?|last=Loresco|first=Shadz|website=Rappler|date=10 January 2016 |language=en|access-date=2019-02-17}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1744349|title=Speak out: Philippines should not pursue nuclear|last=Algo|first=John Leo|date=2018-05-22|website=Sunstar|language=en|access-date=2019-02-17}}
The Philippine Research Reactor-1 was operated from 1963 until 1988 by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute in Quezon City.{{cite journal|last1=Santoro|first1=David|title=ASEAN's Nuclear Landscape – Part 1|pages=1–6|journal=Issues & Insights|date=July 2013|volume=13|issue=10|url=http://csis.org/files/publication/issuesinsights_vol13no10.pdf|access-date=20 February 2016|publisher=Center for Strategic & International Studies}}
In December 2020, a group of experts from International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was invited by the Philippine government to review the country's nuclear infrastructure. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi has been quoted saying that the mission will help with finally making nuclear power a part of the country's energy mix.{{cite journal|title=Philippines Considering Nuclear Energy|url=https://theaseanpost.com/article/philippines-considering-nuclear-energy|journal=The ASEAN Post|language=en|date=2019-12-25|access-date=2021-01-07}}
In February 2022, President Rodrigo Duterte approved and signed an executive order to include nuclear power in the country's energy mix, as authorities prepare to phase out of coal-fired power plants and after earlier efforts failed due to safety concerns. The order states that it can combat the power outages and the electricity prices, despite environmental radiation concerns. Duterte said nuclear power would be tapped as a viable alternative baseload power source as the Philippines seeks to retire coal plants to help meet climate goals.{{Cite web |last=Ong |first=Ghio |title=Moreno bucks Bataan nuke plant revival |url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/03/03/2164507/moreno-bucks-bataan-nuke-plant-revival |access-date=March 9, 2022 |website=Philstar.com}}{{Cite news |date=March 3, 2022 |title=Philippines approves revival of nuclear power to help replace coal |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/duterte-approves-inclusion-nuclear-power-philippine-energy-mix-2022-03-03/ |access-date=March 9, 2022}} The weak electrical grid connections between the over 1,000 inhabited islands of the Philippine archipelago presents a challenge to a nuclear policy. The mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant is close to Manila, the largest electrical demand location, so is an option for revival or the site of a new plant.{{cite news |url=https://www.neimagazine.com/features/featurenuclear-power-position-in-the-philippines-9728100/ |title=Nuclear power position in the Philippines |last=Somsel |first=Joseph |publisher=Nuclear Engineering International |date=26 May 2022 |access-date=26 July 2022}}
The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant
{{main|Bataan Nuclear Power Plant}}
Under a regime of martial law, President Ferdinand Marcos in July 1973 announced the decision to build a nuclear power plant. This was in response to the 1973 oil crisis, as the Middle East oil embargo had put a heavy strain on the Philippine economy, and Marcos believed nuclear power to be the solution to meeting the country's energy demands and decreasing dependence on imported oil.[http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=80742] ABS-CBN Interactive
In 1976, construction on the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) began. Following the 1979 Three Mile Island accident in the United States, construction on the BNPP was stopped, and a safety inquiry into the plant revealed over 4,000 defects, not confirmed. Among the issues raised was that it was built near major faults and close to the then dormant Pinatubo volcano.
Issues of overpricing, bribery, corruption, mismanagement were also raised.{{Cite web|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/981281/russian-envoys-remarks-on-nuke-plant-the-truth-bishop|title=Russian envoy's remarks on nuke plant the truth – bishop|date=April 10, 2018|website=Inquirer|language=en|access-date=2019-02-17}}{{Cite web|url=https://opinion.inquirer.net/99241/outsize-cost-and-risks|title=Outsize cost—and risks|date=November 15, 2016|website=Inquirer|language=en|access-date=2019-02-17}}{{Cite web|url=https://aecnewstoday.com/?p=8740&preview=true&preview_id=8740|title=Resurrecting Another Marcos Era Ghost A Bad Idea: Bataan Nuclear Power Plant|last=Señase|first=Jose Rodriguez T.|date=2016-12-04|website=AEC News Today|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-02-17}}
In 2009, a bill was filed in the Philippine House of Representatives to recommission and operate the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/158177/news/regions/group-warns-of-nuclear-plant-s-earthquake-vulnerability/|title=Group warns of nuclear plant's earthquake vulnerability|date=April 22, 2009|website=GMA News Online|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-17}}{{Cite web|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/special-report/12/21/09/push-revive-bataan-nuclear-plant-timely|title=Push to revive Bataan nuclear plant timely?|last=Chavez|first=Leilani|date=December 24, 2009|website=ABS-CBN News|access-date=2019-02-17}} The cost for rehabilitation was placed at US$1 billion, to be shouldered by taxpayers through loans and additional charges to consumers.{{Cite web |url=https://www.greenpeace.org/seasia/ph/PageFiles/102369/the-case-against-nuclear-power.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2019-02-17 |archive-date=2017-11-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129200906/http://www.greenpeace.org/seasia/ph/PageFiles/102369/the-case-against-nuclear-power.pdf |url-status=dead }} The Center for Environmental Concerns-Philippines, No to BNPP Revival, and Advocates of Science and Technology for the People (AGHAM), and the Freedom from Debt Coalition opposed the bill, saying that the nuclear plant was defective and dangerous and harbored technical flaw. Concerns were also raised in the House of Representatives concerning nuclear waste disposal, geological hazards, and unfinished debt payments.
The Department of Energy of the Philippines in 2016 revived proposals to operate the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant,{{Cite web|url=http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2016/09/01/nuclear-power-bataan-powerplant-alternative-source-energy-senate-power-crisis.html|title=Nuclear power: A go or no?|last=Estanislao|first=Anna|date=September 1, 2016|website=CNN|language=en|access-date=2019-02-17|archive-date=2019-02-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190217155454/http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2016/09/01/nuclear-power-bataan-powerplant-alternative-source-energy-senate-power-crisis.html|url-status=dead}} with the cost for rehabilitating the plant estimated at US$1 billion. Proponents to revive the plant cite possible cost saving and sustainability.{{Cite book|last=Agaton|first=Casper Boongaling|url=https://www.logos-verlag.de/cgi-bin/engbuchmid?isbn=4938&lng=deu&id=|title=A Real Options Approach to Renewable and Nuclear Energy Investments in the Philippines|publisher=Logos Verlag Berlin GmbH|year=2019|isbn=978-3-8325-4938-1|location=Germany|pages=54}} Issues were raised against the plant in the Philippine Senate and by Greenpeace Philippines, No to BNPP, Nuclear Free Bataan Movement, and Balanga (Bataan) Bishop Ruperto Santos regarding corruption, cost, and safety.{{Cite web|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/817404/reviving-a-relic-of-marcos-dictatorship|title=Reviving a relic of Marcos dictatorship|last=Macatuno|first=Allan|date=September 21, 2016|website=Inquirer|language=en|access-date=2019-02-17}}