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SC: Disini estate to pay P100 million damages for BNPP
The Supreme Court has affirmed with finality its decision ordering the estate of late businessman Herminio Disini to pay the government damages for the US $2.3 billion mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in Morong, Bataan......»»
Time for the Philippines to go nuclear
With the scorching heat of the sun still going on and the looming dry spell as a result of the El Niño phenomenon, more Filipinos are using electricity to beat the soaring temperature. Unfortunately, the supply of power cannot cope with the demand, so power outages have also become common. [caption id="attachment_167841" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Many Filipinos are increasingly unable to afford power costs, with the cost of electricity in the country among the highest in Southeast Asia. | Photographs Courtesy Of The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute.[/caption] Many Filipinos are also increasingly unable to afford power costs. The cost of electricity in the country is among the highest in Southeast Asia, according to a paper penned for the Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development. In the Philippines, the kilowatt per hour is $0.16. Compare that to Thailand and Indonesia ($0.10/kWh) and Malaysia ($0.05/kWh). At $0.18/kWh, only Singapore surpasses the country’s Philippines rates. About 50 percent of the country’s power generation comes from coal, with natural gas and renewables accounting for just over 20 percent and the rest coming from oil-fired boilers. The country’s electricity consumption is expected to triple by 2040 — from the 90.2 TWh (Terawatt-hour) in 2018 — due to the rapidly growing economy. It’s time for the Philippines to transition away from its reliance on coal. The adoption of nuclear power is the fastest option and would make electricity costs more affordable, according to the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute. PNRI Director Carlo A. Arcilla said including nuclear power in the country’s energy mix would be beneficial to consumers as it would bring down expensive electricity rates and provide a stable source of power. Gayle Certeza, convenor of Alpas Pinas, a group that educates and advocates for nuclear energy, agrees. “We believe that nuclear energy will positively impact the lives of Filipinos because it will mean lower electricity rates that will better allow for more savings,” she said in a Daily Tribune feature. During the presidency of Rodrigo R. Duterte, Executive Order 164 was signed to include nuclear power in the country’s energy mix. Under the policy, the country “shall ensure the peaceful use of nuclear technology anchored on critical tenets of public safety, national security, energy self-sufficiency, and environmental sustainability.” Energy security The Department of Science and Technology supported EO 164, saying: “Nuclear power is envisioned to bring down the cost of electricity and to contribute to energy security considering the various limitations now being encountered in the other sources which includes natural gas, geothermal, hydro and coal.” The DoST is a member of the Nuclear Energy Program Interagency Committee, tasked to study the adoption of a national position on nuclear power. Nuclear power is one of two major alternatives to fossil fuels; the other is renewable energy (solar power, wind power, hydroelectric, geothermal energy and biomass energy). “Renewables and nuclear can complement each other,” said Arcilla in an interview. “Wind and solar depend on the status of the weather, and they only a 30-percent capacity factor unless you have an expensive battery.” Solar energy also requires one hectare of land to produce one megawatt. “This will become more challenging since the Philippines is an archipelagic country,” Arcilla said. Nuclear, on the other hand, “is more of a baseload energy, meaning it is more reliable due to its continuous production of energy. It could provide backup for wind and solar.” Threats and risks Groups such as the World Nuclear Association, the International Atomic Energy Agency and Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy contend that nuclear power is a sustainable energy source that reduces carbon emissions. But opponents, such as Greenpeace International and Nuclear Information and Resource Service, warn that nuclear power poses many threats to people and the environment, including the problems of processing, transport and storage of radioactive nuclear waste, the risk of nuclear weapons proliferation and terrorism, as well as health risks and environmental damage from uranium mining. Because of these risks, Dr. Art Romero, a geoscientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley, California, emphasizes the need to conduct due diligence, technical hazard studies and engineering and safety reviews. If the Philippines went nuclear, where would it put nuclear waste? “It is very challenging to manage nuclear waste as it will last up to 10,000 years,” acknowledged Arcilla. “We need to isolate them from the human environment.” Arcilla suggests deep borehole disposal. “In the Philippines, we have the capability to drill up to three kilometers. So what we can do is to go to an isolated island, drill up to one kilometer, then we plug in bentonite.” It’s not the first time the Philippines will go nuclear. The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was built by Westinghouse during the time of Ferdinand Marcos at a cost of $2.2 billion, but it was mothballed in 1986 due to safety concerns and allegations of corruption, even before it could begin operations. During the administration of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, proponents wanted the BNPP rehabilitated. But the project was projected to cost a hefty $1 billion. In 2019, a public perception survey indicated that 79 percent of Filipinos supported the rehabilitation of the shelved BNPP. In addition, 65 percent approved the building of new nuclear power plants. Nuclear power is the second largest source of low-carbon electricity today. With almost 500 operating reactors globally, it provides 10 percent of global electricity supply. It’s time for a rapidly developing country like the Philippines to take a second look at this critical power supply option. The post Time for the Philippines to go nuclear appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BNPP remains energy beacon
Nearly 40 years after being mothballed, the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, or BNPP, continues to hold the promise of freeing the country from the high prices and poor supply of electricity which was its goal when it was conceived in the 1970s. The BNPP has retained its disaster-proof features and is good to go for activation, Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco told Daily Tribune recently. Cojuangco, who has been advocating the use of nuclear energy for almost two decades, said the BNPP has been well preserved since the government completed its construction in 1986 or over three decades ago. These were his observations when he toured the BNPP in June. “The BNPP was built with all the necessary equipment and is even more technologically advanced compared to that in the United States which was constructed six years earlier,” said Cojuangco, who is chairperson of the House Special Committee on Nuclear Energy. The government continues to spend P50 million each year to maintain the BNPP. Cojuangco said he had filed the “Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act” to create an independent body that would update studies on the BNPP operation primarily in the aspect of safety. He stressed that operating nuclear power plants should not be of much concern to the public as advancements in technology have proved them safe and their builders and operators comply with the standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Cojuangco shared that the US now has 96 nuclear power plants, while Bangladesh is expanding its nuclear capacity to over 1,200 megawatts, or equivalent to four BNPPs. He said that Turkey is also building its nuclear power plants with similar capacity. “We’re being left behind. Sweden, Denmark, and the United Kingdom have also switched to nuclear energy. The US is also a highly developed country and their experience with the benefits of nuclear energy should tell us that nuclear power plants are safe.” Cojuangco said the technology employed for BNPP allows for the containment of a reactor meltdown through its metal protector and thick concrete walls. “The heat will be filtered through the space inside a metal container. Apart from this, there is a concrete wall that can stop even a crashing fighter jet,” he said, contrasting it with the Chernobyl plant which did not have such safety features. Cojuangco said the Chernobyl plant had no containment for the nuclear reactor meltdown. The BNPP was never operated after former president Corazon Aquino ordered further safety studies on the plant following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine. Shackles from imported fuel The use of nuclear technology to generate power is crucial for the Philippines as it acquires most or 75 percent of its energy from fossil fuels, such as coal, natural gas and oil. These are mostly imported and their costs surged last year due to the armed conflict between oil-exporting countries Russia and Ukraine. Cojuangco said interest remains high among investors to revive the BNPP. South Korea approached the Department of Energy in 2017 to express its willingness to spend a “few million dollars” for a full feasibility study on the BNPP on one condition: the energy department must submit a letter of intent to acquire foreign assistance for the study. The post BNPP remains energy beacon appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DoE ‘slow walking’ on cheaper energy
The Department of Energy has been slow in making energy production sustainable and reducing the cost of electricity, which can be achieved by adopting nuclear energy, Rep. Mark Cojuangco told the Daily Tribune on Wednesday. Cojuangco, of the 2nd District of Pangasinan, said the country spends around $800 million on coal imports each year to generate most of its energy supply. On the other hand, he said, nuclear energy production costs only around $20 million which would result in 50 percent or more savings to consumers. “We should think of our balance of payments first. Nuclear energy has long been used by France since they decided to address the oil crisis in the 1970s and 1980s. As a result, their energy has been cleaner and their country independent from the OPEC or Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries,” Cojuangco said. Despite this, he said, the DoE has been “slow walking” in adopting nuclear energy. It should aggressively advocate lawmakers for the construction and operation of nuclear plants in the country, starting with the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, he stressed. “They are saying 2,500 megawatts of power by 2032 in the country, but they are not saying how they’re going to get there. There should be a firm vision in place that the Congress should make an official energy policy,” Cojuangco said. He noted that the DoE had commissioned a survey that revealed that 79 percent of Filipinos were being hurt by the high energy prices and believed the government should resolve this. “DoE has been exploring alternative energy sources for 37 years, yet energy prices are still expensive. It’s time to adopt nuclear energy which can be produced through the BNPP. As consumers, we have the social license to alert the government and demand affordable energy,” he said. The BNPP had not been activated since former president Corazon Aquino ordered further studies on the safety of nuclear power plants in 1986, following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine. Cojuangco, however, said nuclear power plants are safe as they are inspected by the International Atomic Energy Agency. To ensure enough energy supply, he said the country should be producing 1,000 megawatts through nuclear energy each year to achieve an additional 16,000 megawatts by 2045. Currently, he said, the country gets 75 percent of its energy from fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and oil to generate 16,000 megawatts. He cautioned, however, that reserves from these traditional sources are thinning, including the Malampaya natural gas field in Palawan, amid projections of a fast-growing population. “Twenty percent of the energy from fossil fuels comes from Malampaya, and the National Economic and Development Authority said we need to double our 22,000-megawatt capacity by 2040,” he added. The post DoE ‘slow walking’ on cheaper energy appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Group joins move stopping Japan’s nuclear waste disposal
Multisectoral group Bantay Nukleyar asked the administration to help stop the disposal of 1.3 million tons of water from Japan’s wrecked Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean. In a protest in Busuanga, Palawan, the group said the contaminated water has high toxicity. “The threat of nuclear contamination knows no boundaries. It knows no political colors, orientation, gender, class, or whatever. Everyone is at risk,” Aubrey Bautista, the group’s spokesperson, said. Medical data show exposure to radioactive waste, such as those from nuclear plants, can cause vomiting, skin diseases and cancer, among others. Disposal of nuclear waste In 2021, the Japanese government approved the disposal of the massive nuclear waste, which Reuters said, could fill 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools. A powerful quake in 2021 triggered a hydrogen explosion that damaged reactor buildings in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. To prevent a nuclear catastrophe, the government used tons of water to cool down the reactors. Scientists said it would take decades or up to 40 years to fully dispose of the waste. Annabelle dela Cruz, a barangay official of New Quezon in Busuanga, said authorities must look for alternative ways to dispose of the nuclear waste and educate the public on the dangers of nuclear plant destruction. Drastically missing “What we find drastically missing is a contingency plan should a nuclear disaster happen. We are preparing for the Big One when we even have no idea when and where it will strike” she said. Dela Cruz said such a plan is needed before pushing through the proposed reactivation of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant or BNPP. It was built in the 1970s under the leadership of former President Ferdinand Marcos to address the 1973 oil crisis. Shutdown His successor Corazon Aquino ordered the plant’s shutdown as further safety studies would be conducted. This came after the 1986 nuclear plant disaster in Chernobyl, Ukraine. Rep. Mark Cojuangco of the 2nd district of Pangasinan and the non-profit group Alpas Pinas said the government must reactivate the plant to provide the public with a reliable and cheaper source of energy. Cojuangco already filed the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act bill to create the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority. The post Group joins move stopping Japan’s nuclear waste disposal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Follow science
The government should decide whether or not it should remove the mothballs from the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant since the country’s need for electricity begs for a strong will and an intelligent decision on the fate of the idled facility. The BNPP was ready in 1986 to become the first nuclear power plant as a source of electricity in Southeast Asia, had not vicious politics intervened. Had the obstructionists been prevented from having their way, the curse of the periodic brownouts would not have been inflicted on Filipinos. Among the notable achievements of the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte was laying the framework for nuclear technology as an option in the energy mix. The post-pandemic world is furiously trying to recoup lost grounds from the two-year infestation. The economic surge in the Philippines is projected to be among the fastest in the world based on the growth momentum thus far. Duterte signed Executive Order 164 which opened the door for a nuclear program by including the technology among the options in generating electricity. It offers a solution to the pursuit of meeting the rising power demand while keeping with international commitments to reduce carbon emissions. Being an archipelago with a limited land area, developing large-scale renewable energy projects like wind or solar farms has become a challenge. In the solar farm development, the direction now is to use the vast marine areas for floating solar panels that would, however, ramp up the cost of the solar project. In comparison, nuclear power plants require relatively small land areas and can produce large amounts of electricity. Heavy dependence on imported fossil fuels exposes the country to price volatility and supply disruptions, unlike nuclear energy, which, once operational, is not subject to supply and price risks, as nuclear fuel can be stored for years. A former energy executive said the former regime has a good appreciation of the nuclear option. Prices of oil and coal are erratic, so way back in 2017, the Duterte administration started planning for the integration of nuclear energy in anticipation of global distractions “caused by several factors similar to the current geopolitical conflict and the suspension of coal exports of Indonesia,” according to the former energy official. It will be up to the current administration to take the next steps to realize the promises of nuclear technology. “We need a to do lot of things before we finally achieve this but we need to do it so that when the country is hit by natural or man-made crises we can rely on a stable electricity supply,” the former official said. During the campaigns for the 2022 polls, then-candidate Bongbong Marcos vowed to study the revival of the BNPP among the options to bring the country back on track in the use of nuclear energy. BNPP, worth $ 2.2 billion, is the country’s first and only nuclear power plant. “We have to look at nuclear power. Don’t let politics get in the way, follow the science,” Marcos has said. Former Prime Minister Cesar Virata, who was also the finance minister of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., had the prescience to warn the administration of former President Cory Aquino from decommissioning the plant. He warned then that the policy was based on political considerations as Virata said that the economy at the time when the construction of the power plant started, was picking up and required a steady source of electricity. BBM said at the time when the BNPP was ready to operate, both the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Bank gave their approval on BNPP as feasible, at a time when the Philippines was 95 percent dependent on imported energy. Another former Marcos official, now Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile said several successful programs including the shift to nuclear energy were discarded during the administration of Cory on the instigation of leftist officials who of course were then working to keep the country in a backward state that is conducive to their sinister plans which are based on the level of hate among the populace. They spread baseless fears about a nuclear holocaust through the BNPP. BBM struck the best formula to settle the debates on BNPP: Follow the science. The post Follow science appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bikers for clean energy say no to proposed BNPP revival
“This bike ride is in response to the many issues confronting the planned revival of the BNPP, the calls for clean energy, and how the government should respond to the impacts of climate change." The post Bikers for clean energy say no to proposed BNPP revival appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
TV5 reviews push for nuclear energy
CHEERS TO TV5's Frontline Tonight for its balanced presentation of views on nuclear energy and the planned activation of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP).Maeanne Los Banos' two-part special report looked into t.....»»
SC awards P1 billion to Philippines vs Disini over BNPP
The Supreme Court yesterday ordered the late Herminio Disini, an associate of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, to pay the government P1 billion in temperate damage and P1 million in exemplary damages for his role in the awarding of the $2.2-billion Bataan Nuclear Power Plant project to Westinghouse Electric Corp......»»
Win: PH dapat matuto sa Vietnam sa pagbubukas ng BNPP
Manila, Philippines – Hiniling ni Senador Win Gatchalian sa Department of Energy (DOE) na balikan ang napala ng Vietnam sa pagtatangka nitong magtayo ng nuclear power plant kaugnay sa panawagang buksan ang Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP). Sa pahayag, sinabi ni Gatchalian, noong 2016, napilitan ang Vietnam na ibasura ang plano na sinimulan nilang pag-aralan […] The post Win: PH dapat matuto sa Vietnam sa pagbubukas ng BNPP appeared first on REMATE ONLINE......»»
Gatchalian: BNPP nuke plant activation needs study
Senator Win Gatchalian on Tuesday rallied behind government efforts to put a premium on public involvement on the moves to revive the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), saying its possible activation should ensure safety concerns and the integrity of the plant especially among its estimated 30,000 residents......»»
Bishops caution vs. revival of Bataan nuclear power plant
Diocese of Balanga Bishop Ruperto C. Santos has expressed concern over the planned revival of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant as part of the government’s intention to use nuclear energy as an additional source of power supply. Bishop Ruperto Santos (CBCP / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) “We welcome and accept that there is a need for a study, but we want the government to be transparent and for its assessment to be open to the public. The plan must also be for the common good and must benefit public interest,” Santos said over Church-run Radio Veritas. “Let us remember that Russia conducted a study on the BNPP and found the power plant to be absolutely outdated. The use of nuclear energy will be dangerous for Bataan and for the country as a whole,” he added. The Church leader called on authorities to focus its attention and the country’s resources, instead, on the worsening coronavirus disease situation in the country. “The number of cases of coronavirus in the country has gone really high, but we do not have the capability to address it. We lack hospitals, medicines, and support for our health care workers. The government must pour its resources on the health crisis, which should be given priority,” Santos stressed. San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, vice chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines – Commission on Social Action Justice and Peace (CBCP-NASSA), earlier, expressed alarm over the Department of Energy’s intention to use nuclear energy as an alternative source of power. A study by the Department of Energy (DoE), the National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR), and the Korean Electric Power Company (KEPCO) said, the country will need to spend more than $1 billion in a span of four years to revive the 631-megawatt BNPP which was built in 1984......»»