Government might consider proposal for Bataan Nuclear Power Plant conversion, Palace says

Bataan Nuclear Power Plant / Wikipedia Photo

MANILA — The government will look into proposals to convert the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) into a natural gas-powered facility to ease the country’s growing demand for energy, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said Tuesday.

“Mainam na pag-aralan ang panukalang iyan, kung ito ay posible at kapaki-pakinabang,” Coloma said when asked if the government is willing to consider a proposal in Congress to convert the mothballed nuclear plant into a gas-fired plant.

The suggestion to convert the BNPP has been raised before, he said, adding that there is a need to reassess a previous study to know if the proposal is viable for the government and interested investors.

Proponents of the conversion of the BNPP have said that operating the plant would be easy because the country has natural gas in Palawan.

Instead of spending P26 million annually on the plant’s maintenance, the government could convert it to produce 1,800 megawatts of power, they said.

“Ito ay naimungkahi ng ibang mga private investors, at dahil sa mga kadahilanang ito ay napapanahon na bigyan ito muli ng masusing pag-aaral,” Coloma said.

A South Korean firm has also reportedly shown interest in converting the BNPP into a coal-powered plant.