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A feasibility study for the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) will begin in January 2025 Philippines, South Korea, to kick start significant energy collaboration. This comes after an MOU was signed between the Department of Energy of the Philippines and Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (KHNP). The signing ceremony was held at Malacañan Palace, with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol watching on and signaling a new era in bilateral energy cooperation.
An energy security foundation
Energy Secretary Ralph Lotilla said that signing the MOU takes advantage of a robust foundation of energy cooperation between the two nations. The BNPP project for the Philippines is consistent with Philippine Energy Plan (PEP) that seeks to diversify the country’s energy mix and enhance energy security. As electricity demand is rapidly increasing, the Philippines looks for ways to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and considers alternative, sustainable and effective solutions, including nuclear power.
Cities still reliant on coal reactors are also looking to the returns of an energy source: nuclear. But the DOE predicts continued surges in demand, which will require increasing amounts of generation to get onto the grid. Burgeoning demand for energy, as China moves into the industrial era has led to the necessity of introducing a stable and consistent energy source to achieve the country’s long-term energy goals.
Understanding of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant
The BNPP, located in Morong, Bataan, is a dormant nuclear power plant (which has never been operational). The BNPP is a 620-megawatt pressurized water reactor that is modeled following South Korea’s Kori Nuclear Power Site in Busan. For years, the facility has been revived on multiple occasions, but efforts have been repeatedly stymied by issues of safety and costs along with public opposition.
The Feasibility Study: Viability and Alternatives
Of the two MOUs, KHNP will take on the entire cost for the technical and economic feasibility study of the BNPP under this one. The study will have two phases. In the first phase, it will assess the current condition of the plant infrastructure, equipment, and systems. This means checking whether the original equipment and technology can still be used or require heavy changes to comply with the current safety standards.
In the second phase, we will evaluate the economic and technical feasibility of bringing the BNPP online. The DOE and KHNP will base their decision on whether the plant can be safely and affordably revived based on data collected from the first phase. For starters, they will look at a wide variety of factors, from seismic risks to the safety of local communities and the environmental impact of reviving the plant.
KHNP may propose alternative options if the findings of the first phase suggest not proceeding to the second phase. Among these alternatives, a small modular reactor (SMR), or a conventional power plant constructed on the site might be a possibility. With modern innovation in nuclear technology, SMRs promise to be safer, cheaper, and more rapid to build compared to traditional large-scale nuclear reactors.
Philippine Energy Mix With Nuclear Power
The government intends to raise the proportion of renewable energy to at least 50% by 2050 and shift from coal. Nuclear energy will join renewable sources such as wind and solar to provide grid-consistent base load power – that is, power when renewable generation may be low due to weather conditions.
The contribution of South Korea’s involvement in the feasibility study is extremely important to the project. KHNP manages the Kori Nuclear Power Site, which is similar in design to the BNPP. Renowned for its safe operations and safety record, South Korea has a clean nuclear engineering and operating history.
In partnership with South Korea, there is scope for knowledge transfer—from the Philippines’ experience with South Korea’s construction, operation, and decommissioning of nuclear power plants. The technical skills and regulatory framework developed through this collaboration are expected to be sufficient for the Philippines to build its own nuclear energy program.
Conclusion: A Path Toward Energy Security
The feasibility study for the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant is an important milestone in the Philippines’ quest to diversify energy sources and attain long-term energy security. The country, instead of expending energy on whether nuclear energy would or should work, is exploring them by working with South Korea. It will provide critical insights for the nation’s energy policy in decades to come as to whether or not the BNPP will even be useable or be a placeholder for other energy solutions to be used soon.
Source: PH, SoKor to start feasibility study on Bataan nuke plant next year