Aboitiz Power welcomes plan to use nuclear source

CEBU, Philippines —  The Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower) welcomes the new administration’s plan to adopt nuclear power.

In an interview with AboitizPower President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel V. Rubio, he said while utilizing a nuclear power source is a good idea, it will take a while before the Philippines could finally take advantage of this alternative power source.

“Philippines should actually evaluate all technology available—all options, nuclear being one of them. There is development in nuclear,” said Rubio during his recent visit to Cebu.

According to Rubio, nuclear is a viable technology, but the Philippines has to introduce appropriate laws and regulations, as well as policies on this bid.

Already, President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. announced his government’s determination to adopt nuclear power.

In fact, Marcos discussed this matter with South Korea's envoy on possibly reviving a mothballed $2.2 billion (P115 billion) plant built during his father's rule. The 620-megawatt Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was left dormant after the late former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was toppled in 1986.

The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPL) is a nuclear power plant on the Bataan Peninsula. Completed but never fueled, it is located on a 3.57 km2 (1.38 sq mi) government reservation at Napot Point in Morong, Bataan.

Nuclear power plant is a type of power plant that uses the process of nuclear fission in order to generate electricity.

Marcos said a South Korean proposal to rehabilitate the Bataan plant should be revisited, saying “let’s look at it again.”

While this particular alternative energy source still in the offing, Rubio said AboitizPower is pushing to expand renewable energy portfolio through expanding further its solar, wind and geothermal plants.

As the largest owner and operator of RE in the Philippines in terms of installed capacity together with its partners, AboitizPower continues to invest in other renewable energy projects such as geothermal, large hydro, and wind facilities across the Philippines.

AboitizPower is committed to supporting the government’s thrust to promote renewable energy in the country and its growth aspirations over the years as well as backing the global movement for clean energy.