Conversion of Bataan Nuclear Power Plant into natural gas plant eyed

MANILA, Philippines – Amid increasing concerns on the country’s energy supply, Malacañang on Tuesday said it is open to transform the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant into a natural gas plant, based on the proposal of a lawmaker.

“Mainam na pag-aralan ang panukalang ‘yan kung ito ay posible at kapaki-pakinabang,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a Palace briefing.

(It would be good to study that proposal if it is possible and advantageous.)

Oriental Mindoro Representative Rey Umali, chair of the House committee on energy, earlier suggested the use of liquefied substitute natural gas as a cheaper alternative to other energy sources.

“We can easily convert our mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant to a (substitute) gas-fired power plant and increase its generating capacity from 600 MW to 1,800 MW,” Umali said in a privilege speech last month.

Coloma said a similar proposal had earlier been raised and it would be helpful to revisit the results of the study pertaining to it.

He said the proposal to utilize the BNPP was timely, especially since private investors are also looking into similar possibilities.

Coloma said the country is facing a possible shortfall of 200 megawatts during the summer of 2015, prompting Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla to propose that emergency powers be given to President Benigno Aquino III.

The government spends tens of millions of pesos on the annual maintenance costs of the BNPP.

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