A SOUTH Korean company has offered to rehabilitate the nuclear power plant in Bataan, an official of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) said on Thursday.
Carlo A. Arcilla, PNRI director, told reporters on the sidelines of an energy forum that Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (KHNP) made the offer to revive the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) within five years for a cost of $1.19 billion.
“The one that is really interested in the BNPP is Korea because Korea has an exact model and they said that they can revive it in five years,” he said, referring to the Kori Nuclear Power Plant in South Korea.
The 621-megawatt BNPP was constructed as a response to the 1973 oil crisis. It was completed in 1984 but was never commissioned due to safety concerns.
Mr. Arcilla said KHNP is interested to revive the Bataan plant because almost everything in it is complete.
Last year, Sebin Cheon, senior manager at KHNP, said the company supports the rehabilitation of the BNPP while reinforcing its safety requirements.
The Department of Energy earlier estimated a timeline of 10 years before nuclear power can be integrated into the country’s energy mix.
On Wednesday, an Energy official said the Chinese government had expressed its intent to work with the Philippines in possibly integrating nuclear power among local energy sources.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. had expressed interest in re-examining the feasibility of adding nuclear power as a solution to the country’s energy supply problems. — Ashley Erika O. Jose
