Another Japanese firm willing to supply nuclear reactor to RP

MANILA, Philippines – With the new Aquino administration showing keen interest to develop nuclear energy as an alternative source of electricity, another Japanese company, Toshiba Corp., said it is willing to supply nuclear reactor facilities to the Philippines.

Toshiba is among the biggest suppliers of nuclear reactors in Japan.

Earlier, two Japan-based companies – Kansai Electric Power Corp. and Tokyo Electric Power Corp. – signified their interest to help the Philippine government in case it decides to push through with a plan to put up a nuclear facility or revive the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP).

National Power Corp. (Napocor) president Froilan Tampinco, in an interview with reporters yesterday, said Toshiba bought out Westinghouse Electric, which built the $2.3-billion BNPP, the country’s first and only nuclear power facility.

“It’s just that they’re interested in involving themselves in preparing our people for our nuclear program, as well as offers to look at the Bataan nuclear power plant because remember, Westinghouse was bought by a Japanese company (Toshiba). They’re saying they took over Westinghouse technology so they can look into the Bataan nuclear power plant,” Tampinco said.

Tampinco noted that Kansai and Tepco, on the other hand, are apparently willing to provide technical assistance.

He said Toshiba intends to “help out in the actual preparation for the rehabilitation of the Bataan nuclear plant.”

The Napocor chief, however, noted that there may be a need to amend the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 if the government intends to put up new nuclear facilities.

“Considering that EPIRA bars government from building new power plants, there will have to be an amendment to the EPIRA. Government is prohibited to put up new capacities. But in the specific case of a nuclear facility, in all other countries, a nuclear facility is never part of the electricity market owing to the nature of its operations. And it will have to be outside of the electricity market. So that being the case, then maybe with that characteristic of a nuclear facility, it may be government to build one,” he said.

It would be recalled that President Benigno Aquino has issued a statement on his sentiment about nuclear development in the country. It was during the administration of his mother, former President Corazon Aquino, that the BNPP was mothballed.

According to Tampinco, Napocor, the lead agency studying the option of nuclear energy for power source, is set to present its recommendation to Mr. Aquino soon.

“There’s been a study made by Kepco (Korea Electric Power Co.) recommending the rehabilitation of the BNPP. And our study group has come out with a positive recommendation. But as I said before, I need to present this to our board which has yet to convene,” Tampinco said.

Due to the long timetable for the development of such an energy source, Tampinco said it is about time to start the groundwork. He noted the rehabilitation of BNPP may take about five years, while constructing a new one will take around 10 years.

Earlier estimates also showed that nuclear power cost will be huge and government will need a lead time to look for financing. About $1 billion would be needed for the rehabilitation of BNPP while a 620 MW newly-built nuclear plant will cost around $1.24 billion (at a cost of $2 million per MW).

“If we get a clear indication on what the present leadership is going to adopt as a policy (for nuclear) then we will go ahead. In the meantime, we are doing all the preparations already as we are sending people to be trained. We have to take into considerations the lessons learned from the previous experience we’ve had. It’s possible we build one now but the possibility of it being operating within this administration is not certain,” Tampinco said.

Moreso, finding another suitable site for the nuclear facilities would also take time.

“There is another factor we have to consider in siting, which is public acceptance. Right now there seems to a positive outlook of certain local governments in Mindanao and Visayas. We might have to focus our attention on possible logical sites in those two areas,” he said, noting that there is difficulty in getting public acceptance of nuclear plants in Luzon.

The National Government had earlier identified more than 10 potential sites for the country’s first nuclear power plant. These are in Bataan, Batangas, Quezon, Negro Occidental, Palawan, Cagayan, Cavite, Negros Oriental, Zamboanga del Norte and Sarangani.

Specifically, the candidate sites for the first nuclear power plant in Luzon are Mapalan Point in Morong, Bataan; San Juan, Batangas; Padre Burgos, Quezon; Port Irene/Matara Point and Rakat Hill in Cagayan.

For the Visayas, the possible sites to host the nuclear facility are Tagbarungis, Inagauwan and Concecion, Tanabag both in Puerto Princesa; Cansilan Point, Bayawan in Negros Oriental and Baluangan, Cawayan in Negros Oriental.

In Mindanao, the government has identified Piacan Point in Siocon Zamboanga del Norte; Cauit Point in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte and General Santos, Sarangani. –Donnabelle L. Gatdula (The Philippine Star)