Arroyo administration hopes Aquino will consider reviving BNPP

THE Arroyo administration remains hopeful that the incoming administration would consider using the controversial Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), subject to studies that would render it safe for operation.

Deputy Presidential Spokeman Gary Olivar made the statement in a radio interview, when asked to comment on the incoming administration’s openness to tap nuclear power, in general—but not the BNPP, in particular, as a viable energy source.

“We’re just hoping that he [President-elect Benigno Aquino III] would consider finishing the first plant, if possible, under his term so that he will leave behind a very good and very large addition to our generating capacity,” Olivar said.

Olivar said the Arroyo administration is “happy with the open-mindedness of President-elect Benigno Aquino III on the nuclear power option,” which the Department of Energy believes could provide relief to the power generation problems in Mindanao.

Olivar’s statement appeared that the outgoing Arroyo administration has already decided to operate the BNPP or use nuclear power. However, nuclear power experts in the country have explained to the BusinessMirror in earlier reports that using nuclear power remains just an “option” and no definite policy decision on the matter has been made yet.

He said that Aquino’s apprehension about using the BNPP might be rooted to the controversy surrounding the construction of the grossly overpriced facility, which became one of the symbols of corruption during the Marcos regime. The BNPP—which was never used and was about to be switched on—was mothballed by the administration of President Corazon Aquino, the current President-elect’s mother, in 1986.

Olivar said that while he understands Aquino’s reluctance to use the facility because of its infamy, he hopes that the President-elect “would [put] some weight to the actual technical and commercial reasons” for pursuing the operation of the BNPP.

He said one consideration would be the location of the structure, which has earlier been deemed as unsafe as it is along an earthquake fault line.

“I read recently there is no problem in terms of its geology. It has to be subject to an independent geological audit,” Olivar said.

He added that while the facility was overpriced, the government stands to spend less if it uses the existing BNPP structure for nuclear-energy generation instead of building one from scratch.

“The gestation period for a new one is longer. You add two to four years for the set-up cost of building a new nuclear plant,” he said.