Bataan Nuclear Power Plant

The government is seriously considering converting the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant  into a natural gas-fed power plant, or a coal-fired one as proposed by a Korean company. This is because of the looming shortage projected around summer of 2015. Rotating brownouts may be a daily occurrence in Luzon, particularly Metro Manila, if solutions to the power crisis are not found and done.

The BNPP was a total waste of money. Billions were spent to construct the facility, which promised to address the power needs of Luzon. But because of corruption, inspection of the plant revealed many defects. With incidents like The Three Mile Island accident, Marcos being overthrown and the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster, BNPP was all but doomed. The problem is that the government continues to spend money maintaining the plant, because of the nuclear reactor it still houses.

There have been attempts to refurbish and operate the plant. It would be practical to make use of it, since it technically is complete. But resistance to nuclear energy still exists, while some say the whole project was never really thought out well, as it only became another way to steal money. Now that we are seriously facing an energy crisis as early as next year, it might be time to put the plant, for whatever it is worth, to good use.

Using it as a nuclear power plant may be out of the question. It has been stale for so many years, it would take a ton of money just to bring it up to today's standards. Most of its components are outdated, a waste indeed. So converting it may be the only option. The problem is, it will take time to convert, aside from the fact that it will also cost. The option to let a Korean company do the conversion may be sound, but that will take a good two to three years, at least.

It really is frustrating that the power situation of the country was never really given much attention by past administrations. Like everything else, power plants get old, break down, need a lot of maintenance just to keep going. But there are limitations to maintenance. Eventually, these plants will just conk out. I believe most are already getting there. There is a need to build new plants, something that should have been done thirty years ago. It just couldn't happen because everyone just wanted a piece of the action.

This situation must be seriously addressed. A country needs power, not only for economic growth, but to survive. This administration can kiss all their economic successes, which is so proud of, goodbye if rotating brownouts come back to torment us all. Even now, generator sales are brisk, as those who can are already preparing for the worst. What about those who cannot?

So many dark clouds in this country's future indeed.