PCCI favors nuclear power as long-term option

THE Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry called on the government Friday to review the merits of nuclear power as a long-term option to address outages in the country.

The chamber also urged the government to create a joint non-partisan private-public sector committee, preferably headed by the private sector, to tackle power demand, supply, price competitiveness and a long-term policy road map. This includes renewable energy options, power security and role of nuclear power plants in the future.

“Our country is now facing formidable challenges in the energy and power generation sectors, further complicated by a burgeoning population. Government should seriously look into this proposal of PCCI and consider its prompt creation and mandate,” PCCI vice president Benedicto Yujuico said.

“It is timely indeed for the government and the private sector to start discussions and review the merits of nuclear power as a long-term option while realizing that nuclear power plants are now a matured and proven technology that provide clean electricity at predictable and competitive costs,” said Jose Alejandro, energy committee chairman. “Over a quarter of a century has passed since we erected the unfinished plant we have in Bataan.”

The chamber noted that several neighboring countries in the region, including Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand, had announced plans to build nuclear reactors for electricity generation.

“There is no reason therefore why we cannot start a similar discussion and consider similar option,” said PCCI president Francis Chua.

Vietnam plans to put up four nuclear generation plants in operation by 2025 while Indonesia aims to have its first nuclear plant in operation some time after 2015. Thailand is doing a feasibility study for the construction of a nuclear plant by 2020.

High power costs in the Philippines remains a deterrent to the competitiveness of local industries and enterprises. The Philippines placed 43rd out of 57 countries in the 2009 World Competitiveness Yearbook and ranked lowest in infrastructure at 56th. –Julito G. Rada, Manila Standard Today