Task force hints a ‘no-go’ for revival of Bataan Nuclear Power Plant

MANILA, Philippines - The task force created to conduct a thorough research on the possibility of reviving the country’s most expensive white elephant - the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) - has finally completed and submitted its recommendations with the Department of Energy. In an interview, Energy Asst. Sec. Annette Manansala Rafael said the task force has submitted its final recommendations to Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes in time for a Cabinet meeting last Tuesday. The task force was headed by the Energy Department and had the National Power Corporation (Napocor) and the Philippine National Research Institute (PNRI) as members. According to Rafael, the task force based its recommendations on the final report delivered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which was tapped by the government to determine the viability of using BNPP to address the country’s problem on high power rates and high fuel costs. When pressed, Ms. Rafael indicated that the IAEA did not actually recommended for the revival of the BNPP. “Actually they did not specifically mentioned that [revival of the BNPP] possibility," Rafael said, but refused to further elaborate. To recall, Reyes said the IAEA report will give them idea on whether to push through with the planned revival of the BNPP. Citing the preliminary report of IAEA, Reyes said the government would need to spend about $800 million and this will include the two year feasibility study and another five years for the rehabilitation of the nuclear power plant. Apart from the financial cost, Reyes said there is also the need to address other issues in particular the social and environmental issues. “We have to also consider the issues concerning the possible use nuclear power like the danger and the environment aspects," Reyes said. But he stressed that nuclear power is the most effective way to address the country’s impending problem on power supply specifically in the Visayas area where it is estimated to suffer power shortage in 2009. “I am calling for the revisiting of the nuclear power option because nuclear power provides stable power for a period of 50 years so its very predictable," Reyes said. “Last year we fully paid the $2.3 billion (construction cost of the BNPP) and we did not generate any single kilowatt hour," he added. Constructed in 1976, the BNPP was built during the term of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos in reaction to the energy crisis that hit the country in the 1970s. In a power point presentation before the members of the Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce (JFCC) last month, Reyes reported that the projected critical period for the Luzon grid would be in 2010, and in 2009 in both the Visayas and Mindanao grids. At present, Luzon has 12,174 megawatt installed capacity while its dependable capacity was placed at 10,311MW and its peak demand was pegged at 6,643MW. For Visayas, its installed capacity was at 1,833MW; dependable capacity at 1,498MW and peak demand is at 1.102MW while in Mindanao the installed capacity was 1,933MW; dependable capacity at 1,671MW and actual peak demand at 1,241MW. - GMANews.TV