Nuclear power in the Philippines
Encyclopedia
Nuclear power became an option as solution to the 1973 oil crisis
, in which the Philippines
was affected. The country first completed its first reactor, The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant
. However due to safety concerns and financial difficulties. The reactor never became operational. Recently the government and some private companies are considering to introduce nuclear energy to the country by rehabilitating the power plant in Bataan or building another reactor.
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.
Construction on the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant began in 1976. Following the 1979 Three Mile Island accident
in the United States
, construction on the BNPP was stopped, and a subsequent safety inquiry into the plant revealed over 4,000 defects. Among the issues raised was that it was built near major earthquake fault lines and close to the then dormant Pinatubo volcano.
In 2008 an IAEA mission commissioned by the government concluded that the plant is operable and safe up to 30 years of time. The Refurbishment of the BNNP was estimated to cost from 800 million to 1 billion dollars, which includes upgrade of safety and instruments & control systems. Policy framework was also recommended concerning the nuclear power development in the country. Several private companies also expressed interest to introduce nuclear energy to the country including Toshiba
.
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
, in which the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
was affected. The country first completed its first reactor, The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant
Bataan Nuclear Power Plant
Bataan Nuclear Power Plant is a nuclear power plant, completed but never fueled, on Bataan Peninsula, west of Manila in the Philippines. It is located on a 3.57 square kilometre government reservation at Napot Point in Morong, Bataan...
. However due to safety concerns and financial difficulties. The reactor never became operational. Recently the government and some private companies are considering to introduce nuclear energy to the country by rehabilitating the power plant in Bataan or building another reactor.
The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant
Under a regime of martial law, Philippine President Ferdinand MarcosFerdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
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.
Construction on the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant began in 1976. Following the 1979 Three Mile Island accident
Three Mile Island accident
The Three Mile Island accident was a core meltdown in Unit 2 of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania near Harrisburg, United States in 1979....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, construction on the BNPP was stopped, and a subsequent safety inquiry into the plant revealed over 4,000 defects. Among the issues raised was that it was built near major earthquake fault lines and close to the then dormant Pinatubo volcano.
Recent Developments
The government was considered to convert the plant into a natural gas-fired power plant but has not done so because this was considered infeasible.In April 2007, the expenditures of building the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was fully paid for. The government still pay a maintenance expense which cost $800,000 annually. Since then the plant's future remains uncertain , to rehabilitate the plant or to build another reactor to serve its purpose. Nuclear energy is a serious option to reduce the country's dependence on imported oil and coal.In 2008 an IAEA mission commissioned by the government concluded that the plant is operable and safe up to 30 years of time. The Refurbishment of the BNNP was estimated to cost from 800 million to 1 billion dollars, which includes upgrade of safety and instruments & control systems. Policy framework was also recommended concerning the nuclear power development in the country. Several private companies also expressed interest to introduce nuclear energy to the country including Toshiba
Toshiba
is a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
.