Kepco to take part in study on nuclear energy for Phl

MANILA, Philippines – Korea Electric Power Corp. (Kepco) is looking to participate in the conduct of a feasibility study on the safety of nuclear energy in the Philippines.

Kepco sources said the company is ready to join any bidding on nuclear energy development as it has been in this venture for a long time.

“We will join the bidding. Any opportunity on nuclear energy development, we will, of course, take it,” a company source said.

The Department of Energy (DOE) is reportedly preparing for a study on nuclear energy focused on safety issues. “I think the DOE would bid it out anytime soon,” the source added.

Kepco earlier conducted a feasibility study on the revival of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP). Kepco, which manages and runs a similar unit as BNPP, estimated that the repowering would cost at least $1 billion.

A government owned-utility, Kepco is the world’s third largest nuclear energy provider with an installed nuclear generation capacity of 17,716 megawatts as of end-2008.

Kepco operates 20 commercial nuclear power units as of 2009, with eight more units currently under construction and an additional 10 units planned to be built by 2030.

Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras had announced that the DOE early this year the study on the safety standards for nuclear energy development.

He said they have allocated P100 million for the conduct of studies for nuclear energy development. The budget will also finance the hiring of foreign and local consultants on nuclear energy-related studies.

A lot of companies have expressed interest on the Philippine nuclear energy plan. Over the past years, the DOE had also been conducting its own studies on nuclear energy.

Earlier, the National Power Corp. (Napocor) had identified potential sites to host a nuclear power facility.

These sites include: Bataan, Batangas, Quezon, Negros Occidental, Palawan, Cagayan, Cavite, Negros Oriental, Zamboanga del Norte and Sarangani.

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

For Visayas, the possible sites to host the first nuclear facility in the country are Tagbarungis, Inagauwan in southwest Puerto Prinsesa and Concepcion, Tanabag in northeast Puerto Princesa; Cansilan Point, Bayawan in Negros Oriental and Baluangan, Cawayan, Negros Oriental.

In Mindanao, the government has identfied Piacan Point in Siocon Zamboanga del Norte; Cauit Point in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte and General Santos, Sarangani.

It was earlier proposed that a smaller unit of a nuclear power plant would be ideal for the Philippines especially since it has been subject to many safety and environmental issues.

Napocor president Froilan Tampinco had said Kepco and a French power firm have signified readiness to submit their respective proposals to construct a 600 to 800 megawatt MW nuclear facility in Bataan.

The Philippines is planning to start up its first 600-MW nuclear power plant by 2025.

According to Tampinco, putting up a new nuclear facility may take 10 years, while the proposed rehabilitation of BNPP can be made in five years time. –Donnabelle L. Gatdula (The Philippine Star)