Solon favors revival of nuclear power plant to cut power rates

By John Noel E. Herrera

Iloilo City lone district Rep. Julienne Baronda said she is in favor of the revival of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) as it has a huge potential to produce cheaper electricity in the country.

It is noted that several power distributors both in Iloilo City and the province earlier announced that they will impose rate hikes due to the increase in coal prices in the international market.

These power distributors rely heavily on power harnessed from imported coal.

Iloilo Electric Cooperative (ILECO)-II confirmed an increase of P0.30 per kilowatt hour (kWh) in its electricity rate, from P14.70/kWh in October to P15.01/kWh in November 2022, while ILECO III, on the other hand, increased its rate by P0.60/kWh, from P14/kWh in October to P14.6/kWh in November.

Iloilo City’s sole power distributor, More Electric Power Corporation (MORE Power) also imposed a rate hike of P2.1842/kWh this month due to higher generation charges and an increase in coal prices, as well.

With the continuous increases in power rates, especially in Iloilo City, Baronda cited the possible revival of nuclear power plants, as well as the use of other renewable energy sources, as solutions to cut power rates in the metro.

“Ang problema naton subong is it’a world problem, sa world market, nagtaas ang gasolina, ang coal nagsaka. Ang coal sang-una gina bakal ta na siya 100 (USD per metric ton) lang na siya, subong nag 400 (USD per metric ton). So it is expected nga magsaka, but hopefully nga mag-stabilize na ang problema naton sagwa,” she added.

Baronda, however, emphasized that it is important to include in the discussion the safety measures and other possible health hazards anchored in the possible operation of nuclear power plants in the country to avoid problems.

“Amu na ang gina-studyuhan naton subong sa congress and there are talks nga gusto nila i-revive ang Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. Ang sa aton lang, there are things na kinahanglan provided to approve, wala gid kita problema sina because developing country na kita, may mga parameter, may mga boundaries nga kinahanglan sundon,” Baronda said.

Meanwhile, Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) director Carlo Arcilla earlier said that the BNPP is safe for use, noting that the same power plants used in Slovenia, Brazil, and South Korea are still working for nearly four decades without safety issues.

Bataan Governor Jose Enrique Garcia III, on the other hand, stressed that while PNRI said that BNPP is safe for use, Bataan itself might not already be a suitable area for it, as critical facilities in Bataan like the coal power plant and the Bataan oil refinery might shut down if there are problems that will arise in the possible operation of the plant.

Despite the talks on the revival of BNPP, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) announced that the mothballed nuclear power plant did not receive an allocation in the national government’s proposed 2023 budget.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also said during his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) that his administration will look into the possible revival of the BNPP and reexamine the country’s strategy on nuclear energy as it is one of the solutions to address the country’s power woes.