DOE orders creation of nuclear energy body

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Energy (DOE) will soon create a committee dedicated to achieving a 2,400-megawatt nuclear power capacity for the country by 2032.

Through Department Order DO2024-01-0001, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla has ordered the creation of the DOE Nuclear Energy Power Program Coordinating Committee (DOE-NEPCC) to be led by two undersecretaries as chairperson and vice-chairperson.

Former president Rodrigo Duterte in March 2022 issued Executive Order (EO) 164, allowing the inclusion of nuclear power in the country’s energy mix, following the recommendation of the NEP Inter-agency Committee (NEP-IAC).

The EO has mandated DOE to implement the nuclear energy program as part of the Philippine Energy Plan (PEP).

EO 164 states that the Philippines “shall ensure the peaceful use of nuclear technology anchored on critical tenets of public safety, national security, energy self-sufficiency, and environmental sustainability.”

The soon-to-be-formed committee is part of DOE’s Phase 2,  following the completion of Phase 1 which involves the initial plans and various studies on establishing a power plant program accomplished by DOE-Nuclear Energy Power Implementing Organization.

“It shall serve as the coordinating arm of the DOE to the NEP-IAC in the implementation of the activities for Phases 2 and 3 of the IAEA milestone approach,” the DOE order stated.

Phase 2 is the preparatory work for the construction of a nuclear power plant, while Phase 3 involves the activities to implement a first nuclear power plant.

Among the committee’s responsibility as a coordinating arm involves conducting studies and programs. Moreover, NEPCC will be providing recommendations on addressing issues concerning the design and operation of nuclear power plants.

Funding for the NEPCC will be incorporated in the annual budget of DOE, subject to existing accounting and auditing policies. In addition, 20 percent of the DOE share under the Special Account of the General Fund may be used for the committee.

The Philippines has only one nuclear power station: the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP). It was started in the mid-1970s by late president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and finished construction in 1984.

However, because of financial constraints and safety concerns, the plant was never fueled and its reactor was never turned on. Moreover, the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident made then recently elected president Corazon Aquino mothball the power plant.

US Department of State Undersecretary for economic growth, energy and the environment Jose Fernandez warned against the revival of the BNPP, following his visit in the country. He said it could entail high costs and could cause a “constraint to investment.”

In November last year, the Philippines and the US signed an agreement for potential nuclear power projects in the country with US providers.

Through the Agreement for Cooperation Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy, or known as the “123 Agreement,” a transfer of information, nuclear material, equipment, and components between the Philippines and the US is allowed.

“The signing of the agreement is reflective of an enduring cooperative effort between the Philippines and the US on harnessing civilian nuclear power for sustainable development,” Lotilla said.