Duterte wants public consultations on revival of Bataan Nuclear Power Plant — Palace

Malacañang said on Thursday that President Rodrigo Duterte wants public consultations on the possible revival of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP).

Duterte’s spokesperson Harry Roque said the President told Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi during a meeting on Wednesday night that the residents of Bataan should be consulted about the matter.

“Ang sabi po ng ating Presidente, kinakailangan talagang pag-aralan, ibalik sa ground level. Tatanungin ang taumbayan ng Bataan kung ano ba talagang gusto nila. Hindi pupuwede na sa taas nanggagaling ang desisyon,” Roque said at a news conference in Mariveles, Bataan, which was attended by the province’s Governor Abet Garcia.

Duterte’s directive came more than two months after he formed an inter-agency committee to study the possibility of tapping nuclear energy as the Philippines seeks to ensure steady power supply to meet the demands of a growing population and its economy.

The committee was tasked to formulate a roadmap and timeline in the preparation of the Nuclear Energy Program, measures to address infrastructure gaps, and recommend the necessary steps in the utilization of existing facilities such as but not limited to the mothballed BNPP.

Last year, the Philippines and Russia agreed to explore the possible construction of nuclear power plants in the country, whose current energy mix includes fossil fuels, geothermal and hydro sources as well as biomass.

Environmental groups such as Greenpeace oppose nuclear power, citing concerns over safety and and cost. — Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News