US-based expert to lead forum on nuclear energy

MANILA, Philippines - The government will be bringing to the Philippines a US-based expert who will discuss the latest trends and developments in nuclear energy as a source of power. Dr. Ian G. McKinley will lead the discussion in a forum on Monday (July 7) to be hosted by the National Power Corp. and will be attended by a number of proponent of nuclear power in the country. The activity followed the earlier announcement of the government to tap nuclear energy as among the country’s source of power. Attendees of the forum include Rep. Mark Cojuangco, who filed a bill to develop the country’s nuclear power capabilities, Dr. Carlo Arcilla of the University of the Philippines-Diliman, and Napocor officials Pio Benavidez, Mau Marcelo and Urbano Mendiola. Napocor said the discussion will also tackle the possibility of developing nuclear energy in the Philippines. McKinley is an executive consultant with a wide background in the multi-disciplinary science underpinning radioactive waste management. The US expert worked as a member of the Nagra Management Team, one of the most advanced repository programmes in the world. McKinley has internationally established reputation in the nuclear waste management field with extensive experience in expert groups, advisory panels, and programme committees, among others. He was also involved in various R&D programmes as well as the design, implementation and review of all major geological disposal performance assessments in Switzerland and Japan At present, he runs the McKinley Consulting, a company established since January 2005 to offer a range of technical consulting services. A plan to revive the country’s first 600-megawatt (MW) nuclear power plant by 2025, has been announced by the Energy department late last year. The nuclear power facility is expected to contribute 0.885 million tonne oil equivalent (MTOE) to the projected energy mix and reach up to 3.54 MTOE by 2035. The plan indicated that the Philippines is already considering nuclear power as a major energy source for its future needs. In preparation for the development of the nuclear power facility, the Arroyo administration will be pushing for capability building and enhancement on the various aspects of nuclear energy which will specifically involve training of local manpower for the possible introduction of nuclear into the country's energy system. The DOE is also studying the possibility of re-building local technical capability in nuclear sciences and engineering. The manpower capability of the Napocor, the state-owned power generating firm, in nuclear engineering has declined from original number of 710 engineers who were trained by Westinghouse and EBASCO Overseas Corp. in the 1980s to the present 106 engineers, many of whom would be retiring in the next five to 10 years. As a long-term solution to meet future power demand, the government is exploring two options for nuclear energy development. One of the options is to rehabilitate the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP). If the government decides to reactivate BNPP, it plans to seek technical assistance from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), an independent body organized on July 29, 1957. The Philippine government had spent about $2.1 billion for the construction of the BNPP and had been spending as much as P40 million a year for its maintenance. The government is still reviewing whether the government will undertake the rehabilitation by itself or by the private sector. Cost for the BNPP rehabilitation was estimated at more than $800 million. As the first nuclear power facility in the country, Philippine Nuclear Power-1 (BNPP)was supposed to operate commercially in 1986 but was mothballed owing to opposition from various environmental and cause-oriented groups. Another option for the facility is to convert it to other fuel such as natural gas. GMANews.TV