Marcos seeks partnership with France on nuclear energy
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he sought a partnership with France on nuclear energy during a bilateral meeting with French President Emannuel Macron at the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Thailand.
“I’m very confident that it will be a strong partnership simply because they have up to 67 percent of their power production is from nuclear energy so they are very, very used to it,” Marcos said, according to a release from Malacañang.
Marcos said he wanted to talk to Macron about energy because of France’s use of nuclear power, a controversial energy source that the Philippine president had long advocated for.
READ: France ready to assist Philippines in nuclear energy transition, other renewables
On the campaign trail, Marcos said the Philippines should look into reviving the 621-megawatt Bataan Nuclear Power Plant — a venture by his despot father and namesake which was mothballed in 1986 because of safety concerns.
READ: Nuclear power not what grid needs, former Marcos energy official says in bid for renewables
During his first State of the Nation Address, Marcos reiterated his determination to adopt nuclear power, saying “it is time to re-examine our strategy towards building nuclear power plants.”
But some groups have said that tapping into nuclear energy will impede the Philippines’ transition to renewable energy and threaten host communities.
Marcos said he and Macron also discussed how the Philippines can get assistance from other countries or entities and defense issues in the Asia-Pacific region. — Xave Gregorio with a report from Gaea Katreena Cabico
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