SOCHI, RUSSIA — Where is the best place to put a nuclear facility in the Philippines?
"If you ask me, one of the best place to put a nuclear plower plant is Palawan," said Philippine Nuclear Research Institute Director Carlo Arcilla on the sidelines of the 10th Atomexpo International Forum held in Sochi, Russia.
The PNRI chief, however, said that it is the Department of Energy that has the mandate to lead and implement energy initiatives.
In 2017, the Energy department and Russia's state atomic energy corporation Rosatom signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation to explore "possibilities for the construction of land-based or floating nuclear power plants equipped with small modular reactors" in the Philippines.
The DOE is reviewing the possibility of building a nuclear facility in some areas such as Sulu ahead of the decision on whether to revive the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.
PNRI, on the other hand, suggested Palawan, which is one of the most popular destinations in the country both for local and foreign tourists.
Arcilla, a geoscientist and geotechnical engineering expert, cited reasons why Palawan is a good option for building a nuclear facility.
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Editor's note: The trip to Sochi, Russia was hosted by Rosatom. At no stage does the host organization have a say in the stories generated from the coverage, interviews conducted, publication date and story treatment. Content is produced solely by Philstar.com following editorial guidelines.