Island nation’s only reactor never saw operation
South Korea’s KHNP (Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Philippine government to conduct a feasibility study on the long-inactive Bataan nuclear power station, the Yonhap news agency reported.
Yonhap said that under the new agreement, KHNP will evaluate the plant’s economic viability, safety, and other factors to determine whether it can be safely revived.
The agreement follows a summit in Manila between South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol and Philippine president Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
The Philippines has a nuclear station at Bataan, north of the capital Manila in Luzon, but it has never operated and has been mothballed.
The 621-MW Westinghouse light-water reactor unit at Bataan was completed in 1984, but never fuelled or commissioned. It was mothballed due to safety concerns in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 and issues regarding corruption under the government of Marcos’s late dictator father, Marcos Sr.
The Philippines is exploring nuclear energy options to address growing power demands, including potentially bringing the Bataan plant online.
In November 2023, the Philippines took a significant step towards becoming a nuclear power nation with the signing of a 123 Agreement with Washington that will give it access to US material and equipment.
Marcos Jr has been bullish on nuclear since his election as president in 2022, saying “this is the right time” to reexamine the country’s approach and policy towards using nuclear energy.
In early 2024, the Philippine Department of Energy (DOE) unveiled plans to establish a nuclear energy programme coordinating committee with the goal of achieving a 2,400-megawatt nuclear power capacity by 2032.
A study conducted by Russia’s Rosatom in 2017 during the administration of Marcos’ predecessor Rodrigo Duterte had found the rehabilitation of Bataan would cost $3bn-$4 bn (€2.7bn - €3.6bn).
