RP lists 12 nuclear plant sites

THE Philippine government has identified a dozen potential sites for a nuclear power plant. In a presentation, state-owned National Power Corp. (Napocor) identified alternative locations in the three major island-groups of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

In Luzon, possible locations for a new nuclear power plant are Mapalan Point in Morong, Bataan; San Juan, Batangas; Padre Burgos, Quezon; Port Irene/Matara Point in Cagayan; and Rakat Hill, also in Cagayan.

In the Visayas, nuclear power plants could be established at Tagbarungis, Inagauwan, which is southwest of Puerto Prinsesa; Concepcion, Tanabag, which is located northeast of Puerto Princesa; Cansilan Point, Bayawan in Negros Oriental; and Baluangan, Cawayan, also in the same province.

In Mindanao, potential sites are Piacan Point in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte; Cauit Point, also in Siocon; and General Santos, Sarangani.

Because of the archipelagic nature of the country, Froilan Tampinco, Napocor president, earlier said that it would be more suitable to put up small nuclear plants of between 600 and 800-megawatts capacity in different locations.

Two foreign entities, Korea’s Korean Electric Power Corp. and an undisclosed French firm, have already expressed interest in putting up such facilities.

Napocor is spearheading the revival of the country’s nuclear power program, decades after the Aquino government shelved the Philippines’ first such facility in Bataan province.

However, putting up a new facility would take at least 10 years, Tampinco said, or double the time that would be needed if government were to rehabilitate the mothballed Bataan plant. –EUAN PAULO C. AÑONUEVO Reporter, Manila Times