The Philippines Department of Energy (DOE) plans to begin accepting applications for nuclear energy projects by 2026 as part of efforts to introduce nuclear power into the country’s energy mix by 2032. Energy Secretary Sharon S Garin told reporters: “Although there is uncertainty about the availability of the technology, our target basically is that the Philippines will be ready to accept applications for nuclear projects by 2026.” She said this would allow proponents to prepare ahead of the 2032 target.
The Philippine Energy Plan envisages integrating nuclear energy into the power mix with at least 1,200 MWe of capacity by 2032, doubling it to 2,400 MWe by 2045 and to 4,800 MWe by 2050.
The DOE-led Nuclear Energy Program-Inter-Agency Committee (NEP-IAC), through its Subcommittee 5, organised a technical workshop for concerned government agencies to look at the environmental regulations for NPP facility projects.
“This undertaking defines the Nuclear Energy Programme’s commitment to pursuing the integration of comprehensive environmental safeguards with the Philippines’ peaceful transition into nuclear energy utilisation,” DOE Legal Services Director Myra Fiera F Roa said in a statement.
She added that the workshop aims to address remaining challenges, enhance tools, and ensure that environmental compliance certificate applications “embody not only our regulatory compliance, but also public trust and scientific integrity”.
John Edward T, Ang Environmental Management Bureau Director at the Department of Environment & Natural Resources, said the agency is committed to ensuring economic sustainability through the environmental impact assessment system. “While there are perceived benefits to the nuclear route, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that its implementation will be in harmony with the environment and our people,” he said.
“The vision of having nuclear energy is no longer a distant discussion. We are working to put in place a process to ensure that environmental risks are addressed before projects are rolled out,” said Roa.
Garin recalled that a feasibility study was being carried out by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power with KEPCO KPS, a subsidiary of Korea Electric Power Corp, and Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, for the rehabilitation of the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) and is expected to be completed by February 2026. BNPP was completed in 1985, two years after the original target but was never operated and was mothballed. The National Power Corp, as the designated caretaker of the plant, placed it into preservation mode.
Meanwhile Canadian engineering firm Atkins Realis is in ‘collaborative talks’ with Philippine power companies for technology deployment on a targeted first 700 MWe greenfield nuclear power project that will be equipped with Canada’s enhanced CANDU 6 reactor, according to Todd Smith, Vice President for Candu Marketing & Business Development at Candu Energy (part of Atkins Realis). In an interview on the sidelines of the World Nuclear Association Symposium in London, he said: “We’re already over a year in conversations with different stakeholders in the Philippines… and we believe that we’re making good progress with a number of IPPs (independent power producers) and also with the government.”
The companies include the energy investment arm of San Miguel Corporation, Meralco PowerGen Corp, Aboitiz Power Corp, Prime Infrastructure Capital of the Razon Group and GNPower Ltd.
Smith noted that a step forward would be the enactment of the ratified bill creating the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (PhilAtom) which is now awaiting signature by President Marcos. He explained that the Philippine power producers “want to see the government first create the environment and create the regulatory environment for them to be successful – I believe that this will happen with the PhilAtom Bill”.
On financing for new nuclear power projects, he pointed out that financing models leaning on public-private partnerships (PPP) or the grant of sovereign guarantees could help finalise planned nuclear power facilities primarily in de-risking the heavy upfront capital cost.
