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Small nuclear power generators could be installed in the country to power off-grid areas by 2027, said Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi.
“With the evolution of small modular reactors that are suitable for isolated or island areas in the Philippines, the possibility of establishing a modular power plant in the country could come earlier, even as early as 2027,” Cusi said before the International Scientific Forum. from the Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on September 22.
He believes the time has come for the Philippines to embark on a comprehensive national nuclear power program, following the issuance of Executive Order (EO) No. 116 creating the Interagency Committee for the Nuclear Energy Program.
The committee, which will be chaired by the DOE, will consider adopting a national position on a nuclear power program.
“We are pushing hard for the approval of the legal and regulatory frameworks necessary to pave the way for nuclear energy, which are among the bills that have been certified as urgent in Congress,” he said.
The energy chief expressed regret that the country has missed the opportunity to use nuclear power as an alternative source of energy from the start.
“I firmly believe that the economic outlook for our country would be very different if we had harnessed nuclear power back then. Instead, our economic development was stunted, while our regional neighbors, who had boldly ventured into nuclear power, had been transformed into economic powerhouses. I continue with my call to my compatriots to open up to the idea, ”he said.
Before the EO was issued, the Philippines Energy Plan already projected the inclusion of nuclear power in the country’s energy mix by 2030, Cusi said.
A survey company in the Philippines was also commissioned to measure national public perception of nuclear power in 2019. The results indicated that the majority of Filipinos were open to nuclear power.
“With such positive participation, I think the time has come to step up and inform the public about nuclear energy. I hope that our update opens the doors to possible future collaboration opportunities with the international nuclear energy community, or with our participants in this Forum, ”said Cusi.
The Scientific Forum on “Nuclear Energy and the Transition to Clean Energy” is held in conjunction with the 64th IAEA General Conference until 25 September.
Featuring speakers from government, industry, and international organizations, the event seeks to facilitate discussions on how nuclear power figures in the global transition to clean energy.
