PH is ready for responsible nuclear energy use – Dy

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is ready to use nuclear energy responsibly to address power issues hounding far-flung areas, and even in the cities, House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday.

During a meeting with IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, who made a courtesy call to the House leader, Dy said he understands the need for affordable and sufficient power supply from the northern part of the country – areas which suffer from power interruptions.

According to Dy, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s decision to sign the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory and Liability Act into law signals the country’s readiness to use nuclear energy.

“As someone who comes from the Northeastern part of Luzon, I see firsthand the same challenges faced across the Philippines. Power is insufficient. Power is expensive. And power is not always available when our people need it most. These realities limit growth, discourage investments, and burden ordinary families,” Dy said.

“Just recently, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory and Liability Act, or PhilATOM. This made a clear statement to the world: The Philippines is ready to harness nuclear energy responsibly and transparently,” he added.

According to Dy, economic growth is heavily reliant on power, especially as digital developments demand more power. This is why Grossi’s visit, the speaker said, is a good opportunity to learn more about nuclear power and what the Philippines needs to do to be ready for such operations.

“Our ambition for a secure energy future does not exist in a vacuum. We are confronting serious constraints. Our fast-growing economy and our increasingly digital way of life demand far more energy than our current system can provide,” he said.

“And if we remain dependent on imported fossil fuels, we cannot possibly sustain our growth. Our dependence has become costly, risky and unsustainable,” he noted.

“If we want a more resilient and competitive Philippines, that dependence must end. This is why discussions on nuclear power and peaceful nuclear technology matter,” the speaker added.

“Nuclear energy offers clean, stable and reliable power. It shields us from volatile global fuel markets. It holds the promise of saving billions of dollars in avoided import costs—funds that can, instead, be invested in Filipino families, Filipino industries, and Filipino innovation,” he explained.

Grossi, in his own speech, said that he is currently in the Philippines for a project with the Department of Science and Technology regarding the “Tech Plastic” concept, which he explained as a way to use existing technology to solve the plastic pollution problem across the world.

The IAEA head also touched on nuclear energy discussions, saying that the Philippines was a “real pioneer” as it had explored nuclear energy way ahead of other countries — building the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant way before China built its first plant.

“So it is not a surprise that now, when we have this convergence — as I was saying — of global tensions, the quest for clean energy, and the solutions in a world where energy security is something that is on the table, the Philippines again — as it did 40 years ago — look back at this old friend – nuclear energy – and how to revive, recycle it — for plastic in a good way, in a good way, taking advantage of what was done in the past and also looking into new possibilities,” Grossi said.

The establishment of PhilAtom, Grossi said, is a good step towards nuclear energy use. Also, he noted that small modular reactors may be the way forward, considering the archipelagic nature of the country.

“Nuclear energy, to be developed, requires regulation, and I am very happy to see that PhilAtom has finally been established. And I think it is very, very important to have an independent regulator — a regulator that will be telling truth to power when you operate your nuclear power plants,” he pointed out.

“This is very, very important in countries, so that a regulator is looking into what is happening, how it is working,” he told the audience.

“A country like yours — archipelagic in nature —  is particularly suited for new forms of nuclear energy, like small modular reactors that are small, as the word says, and that can operate in a way that does not require a full integration of the grid,” he added.

Last September, Marcos signed Republic Act No. 12305 or the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act, which is considered a landmark law to ensure the safe and peaceful use of nuclear energy, amid plans to shift toward clean and secure energy resources.

The law created the PhilAtom, an independent and quasi-judicial body which shall have “sole and exclusive jurisdiction to exercise regulatory control… for the peaceful, safe and secure uses of nuclear energy and radiation sources in the Philippines.”

READ: Marcos signs law creating PhilAtom, new nuclear regulatory agency

In 2024, when Marcos participated in a trilateral meeting with the United States and Japan, part of the joint statement of the three countries was the creation of nuclear energy study tours for Filipino experts that will be opened by the United States (US) and Japan.

The initiative, the countries said, is aimed at pushing for an expanded collaboration on clean energy.

The Philippines has been looking at the use of small modular reactors. 

In May 2023, NuScale’s local partner, Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc.. said that the “future investment value of the project would be in the range” of $6.5 billion to $7.5 billion.

READ: US firm plans to build small nuclear power plants in PH 

Last November 2023, the Philippines and the US signed the landmark ‘123 agreement — a deal that the US strikes with allies for nuclear energy cooperation.

READ: PH, US sign landmark ‘123 agreement’ on nuclear energy 

The term ‘123’ derives from Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act, which states that partners in nuclear energy cooperation are legally obligated to observe standards and to refrain from using the deal for nuclear weapons development.

Negotiations for the agreement began when US Vice President Kamala Harris visited the Philippines in November 2022. /apl