Anti-nuclear groups oppose Bataan nuke plant revival

BALANGA CITY, Bataan, Philippines — Anti-nuclear advocates at the No Nukes Asia Forum (NNAF) held here on Friday (June 19) said several Asian countries continued to reject proposals to rehabilitate and operate the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) in Morong town.

The Nuclear Free Bataan Movement hosted the NNAF 2026 at a restaurant in this city, coinciding with the 41st anniversary of the “Welga ng Bayan” (People’s Protest) against the BNPP’s operation.

Fang Long Shi of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union said in an interview that Taiwan had already shut down its three nuclear power plants as part of its shift toward renewable energy.

Fang, who participated in the forum, said Taiwan has since moved away from nuclear power due to cost and safety concerns. She also noted that, as a close neighbor of the Philippines, Taiwan remains wary of plans to revive the BNPP.

READ: DOE readies perks for nuclear power producers

Another forum resource person pointed out that the unresolved issue of nuclear waste remains a “challenging concern” for the Taiwanese government.

Taiwan, the first Asian country to phase out nuclear power, still carries an estimated 4,700 tons of high-level radioactive waste, according to NNAF.

In the Philippines, the government has established the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (PhilATOM) under law to advance nuclear energy development, including possible BNPP rehabilitation. However, critics noted that it has yet to finalize key regulatory frameworks for managing radioactive waste.

The Department of Energy earlier said that while small and medium-sized modular reactors are not yet commercially available, the government is open to considering nuclear energy proposals from the private sector in the future.

NNAF also reported that while countries such as Australia, Japan, South Korea, and India continue to use nuclear power for energy and other purposes, public opposition to nuclear weapons and nuclear energy remains strong in various parts of Asia. /das /atm