Bataan Nuclear Power Plant impossible to revive

Marcos Jr
LAGUNA, Philippines Senator Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr acknowledged on Wednesday, March 2, that
it is technically impossible to run the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), the white elephant project built
during the president of his father and namesake.
Engineers tell us it is difficult to run the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, the vice presidential candidate told
reporters during a local sortie in the vote-rich province of Laguna.
Number one 'yung fuel ay nawala na. Pangalawa, 'yung makina, at marami nang babaguhin. Marami nang
teknolohiya ang dumating in 30 years, he added. (The fuel has been depleted. Secondly, the machine has to be
reinvented. There have been newer technologies in the past 30 years.)
Constructed during the time of his father, the late President Ferdinand Marcos, the BNPP is a $2.3-billion
(P108-billion) project that has been abandoned in the last 3 decades. (The government spends $1.06 million
(P50 million) a year to maintain the energy generator located in Morong, Bataan.
Reviving the BNPP, which has a capacity of 600 megawatts (MW), resurfaced during the power crisis in 2014.
But it would take as much as $400 (P18 billion) to $600 million (P28 billion) to revive the facility.
Cheap, reliable power
Marcos stressed, however, that setting up a nuclear power plant in the country is still a viable and practical
project.
Ang Amerika tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang development ng power plant. Ang Japan ganun din, ang mga highly
industrialized countries. Gumagamit lahat ng nuclear power kayat makikita mo in terms of cost they consider
it viable, he noted.
(In America, they continue to develop power plant. That is also what they do in Japan and other highly
industrialized countries. Everyone uses nuclear power thats why you can see in terms of cost, they consider it
viable.)
Developing new sources of energy is necessary, he said, because of the current demand for power, especially if
the country will continuously take the path of industrialization.
The supply of cheap and reliable power must be increased to accommodate progressive industries, he said in
Filipino. Rappler.com

Aging power plants causing emergency shutdowns

By Iris Gonzales (The Philippine Star) | Updated May 19, 2014 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines - The problem of aging power plants is causing the growing incidence of emergency and
extended maintenance shutdowns among the countrys power plants, highlighting the need for new power facilities,
Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla said.
The plants are old. Some are older than I am, said the 51-year-old government executive.
Petilla said it is unavoidable that some units of the existing plants are conking out.
This week will be critical for the Luzon grid, as it would again be placed on yellow alert today and with the highest
demand expected to be recorded in the last two weeks of the month at 8,654 megawatts.
A red alert means there is severe power deficiency while a yellow alert means that contingency reserves are below
the minimum level set by the regulator but does not necessarily mean power outages or blackouts. A white alert means the
situation is back to normal. As of last Friday, six power plants were off the grid, some since last year due to varied reasons
such as scheduled maintenance, extended maintenance or equipment damage.
The power plants included the Unit 2 of the Calaca Power Plant in Batangas with the capacity of 330 megawatts.
The plant has been out since last December on scheduled maintenance.
Another is the Sta. Rita module 40 (263 MW) in Batangas, which has been out since last February and on extended
shutdown due to problem encountered with its generator transformer and still being investigated by its consultants.
The Unit 1 of the Malaya Thermal Power Plant in Rizal (300 MW), which has been out since March due to high turbine
vibration; Unit 6 of the Limay plant (60 MW) in Bataan, which has been out since March due to high turbine vibration;
Limay 7 and 8 (170 MW), out since April, due to still undetermined cause; and Therma Mobiles diesel generator 1 (9
MW) of the Aboitiz Group, which has been out since May 4, due to a rotor problem.
Had the government-owned Malaya Plant been called to run in November and December when the Malampaya gas to
power facility was on maintenance shutdown last year, Petilla said both units may have conked out by now and would not
have been available this summer.
The Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM), the government corporation tasked to
manage state-owned power assets including Malaya, said the plants second unit has been running and providing support
since March. Malaya has been running as a must-run unit since the last week of March, PSALM president Emmanuel
Ledesma Jr. said.
To help mitigate the critical power situation, the Department of Energy (DOE) will hold talks with retail
electricity suppliers (RES) as part of efforts to look for additional sources of power for the country, which is currently
facing rising power demand and inadequate supply.
Petilla said the RES can provide additional power when needed or when the grids are placed on red alert.
He said DOE director Mylene Capongcol of the departments Electric Power Industry Management Bureau would
be meeting with generation companies that have RES entities to discuss ways on how they can help when power supply is
tight.
RES refers to any entity authorized by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to sell, broker, market or
aggregate electricity to the contestable market which consists of a group of end-users who have an average peak demand
of 1 MW for 12 months.
The DOE will be talking to these RES. Malls and other industrial users get their power supply from RES,
Petilla said.Petilla said the DOE would be meeting the Retail Electricity Suppliers Association (RESA) to discuss ways on
how they can participate in addressing the power situation.
This is similar to the case of the so-called Interruptible Load Program (ILP) for Luzon, which was created to
provide back-up capacity when power supply is low.
However, Petilla said the more permanent solution is for the private sector to build more power plants.
Thats why we really need new power plants, he said.
On the other hand, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) assured the public that its transmission lines are
stable enough to bring power to the Luzon grid.
Lilibeth Gaydowen, NGCP corporate communications and public affairs officer, said the scheduled power interruptions
were to give way to regular maintenance work, including replacement of worn-out transmission and facilities.
She said this is to ensure that their transmission facilities are more than capable to deliver the needed power from various
power sources such as coal, geothermal and hydro plants to electric cooperatives.
Unlike in Mindanao, we have many sources of power that is why we still transmit stable power for our consumers, she
said. Over the week, some parts of Luzon, including Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela and Ifugao, have experienced 10-hour
power outages as well as momentarily power disruptions.
These temporary power interruptions resulted in transforming our power facilities and equipment into a stable condition,
thereby ensuring sufficient and continuous flow of power, Gaydowen said. With Charlie Lagasca

Coal power plants in Bataan commit human rights violations

MANILA, Philippines - The wind blew, carrying with
These are said to be the answer to the countrys energy crisis,
it a certain smell of sulfur and an amount of ash that later
despite opposition from the public and environmental groups.
covered the road. It was like New Years Eve, except there were
Campaigns from different organizations highlight renewable
no fireworks and certainly nothing to celebrate.
This is
energy as the path to a sustainable and a more environment and
everyday life for the community living near the coal-fired power
health friendly future. But is there room for a shift from dirty
plant in Lamao, Limay, Bataan, a barangay (community) of
energy to renewable energy in a country whose president does
18,000 people in the northern part of the Philippines.
not support it?
Petron Corporation constructed the coal-fired
Skin diseases have become rampant because of toxic wastes of
powerplant in Lamao and has been in operation for 2 years. San
coal power plants in Bataan.
Miguel Corporation (SMC), through SMC Global Power
In the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President
Holdings Corp., has been constructing its other coal-fired power
Aquino last 2013, he said, Did they happen to mention that
plants in the area which are set to be online by 2016 and 2017.
renewable energy is also more expensive from the cost of
More expansions by the company are eyed as Ramon
building the plants to the eventual price of energy? Did they
Ang, president of SMC, has been openly aggressive in building
mention that it cannot provide the baseload the capacity
coal-fired power plants in the area and other parts of the
required to make sure brownouts do not occur? If you put up a
country. According to Earthjustice, coal ash remains from
wind-powered plant, what do you do when there is no wind? If
burning coal in power plants are toxic and can cause cancer,
you put up a solar plant, what do you when the sky is cloudy?
respiratory illness, neurological damage, and developmental
Land disputes
problems. The toxic level of coal ash which mostly come from
Jana* started rebuilding her small rental space in Lamao. It cost
arsenic, mercury, lead, and chromium, also poison drinking
her P3,000 which she gave to a certain Mr Ignacio, commander
water sources. In fact, a percentage of the population has
of the security agency, and a certain Mr Miranda, to allow her to
acquired respiratory problems and water has recently been
safely build her space. But in February 2014, she was met with
contaminated.
harassment when Mr Ignacio was replaced by a certain Mr
Approximately 8 kilometers away from Lamao, Barangay
Carag who ordered her place to be demolished. With her
Lucanin in Mariveles, Bataan also face the same hazards: the
husband out of the country and for fear of retaliation, Jana has
sea, their source of livelihood, has been contaminated with coal
filed no cases against anyone.
ash, and residents have acquired skin diseases. According to
Land dispute between PNOC and the residents of Lamao has
Derek Cabe of Nuclear Free Bataan Movement, coal ash waste
been ongoing for some time. According to the residents, the area
can reach up to 40 kilometer radius.
of Lamao has been awarded to them by President Ramon
But coal ash in the area isnt only brought to them by the wind,
Magsaysay in the 50s. However, during the presidency of
Petron Corporation also dumps their coal ash waste in the area,
Ferdinand Marcos, who created the PNOC to respond to the oil
which the company later turns into cement. Lucanin has seen the
crisis, Lamao was awarded to the PNOC and has since then
effects of this waste as the community experiences high
claimed the area.
morbidity of upper respiratory diseases.
Livelihood in Lucanin, Mariveles, Bataan, is affected
Injustices
as coal ash contaminates the seabed. As the expansion plans of
But ash fall is just the tip of the iceberg. Residents of Lamao are
coal-fired power plants in the area increases, the number of
facing violence and harassment amidst the fight against their
human rights violations also seem to grow in number. While
eviction from their own land to accommodate the new coal-fired
residents have complained about health and water hazards the
power plants by SMC. The community has been up in arms,
coal-fired power plant has caused, PNOC uses the same rhetoric
especially with 110 families facing eviction but not without
to drive them out of their land.
cost.
Instead of shutting down the coal power plant which has
John*, an officer of Federation of Lamao Concerned Citizens,
affected the community, PNOC has told them to leave their
Inc. (FLACCI), recalls that on February 21, 2014, members of
homes for a relocation site which will be provided for them. But
the Merit Security Agency came to the site of his small buying
as with all relocation sites in the Philippines, it is far from their
and selling of scrap materials business, armed with long rifles,
livelihood and without access to employment.
and started destroying his storage space. Even prior to this,
The belief that coal is cheap has been accepted but sadly, its real
Ana*, another resident of Lamao, was harassed by security
costs health hazards, damage to agriculture and fisheries,
guards of the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC), also
water contamination, environmental damage, and land grabbing,
from the same security agency.
all of which are human rights violations are not calculated.
Residents of Lamao are no longer permitted to renovate,
The community in Lamao has been asking the government to
improve, or repair their homes. According to PNOC, they will
clean-up the environmental hazards and toxic wastes from the
be demolished in preparation for the multiple coal-fired power
Petron coal-fired power plant. They also ask the government to
plants which will be built by SMC.
allow them to stay in the land that has been awarded to them and
James* says that Merit Security Agency has put up check points
their families in the 50s, which will be taken away from them to
in the area, inspecting each passerby for any construction
give way to more infrastructures that will increase
materials. In addition to checkpoints, 5 guards are on roving
endangerment of their lives and livelihood.
duty daily, checking if any of the residents have been doing
The residents are going against big corporations. What can the
home improvements. The guards have already destroyed
government do? RSA (Ramon Ang) is very bold. He builds
numerous houses in the area.
plants even without offtake and financial closing. We should
There are more than 40 coal-fired power plants which
have more of his kind, says Jericho Petilla, secretary of the
have been approved to be built in different parts of the country.
Department of Energy (DOE). - Rappler.com

The end of the jeepney? Manila goes green

Anmar Frangoul | Special to CNBC.com
Thursday, 19 Nov 2015 | 5:57 AM ETCNBC.com
COMMENTJoin the Discussion
YOUR BROWSER IS NOT SUPPORTED.
The Philippine's crowded capital, Manila, is notorious for its traffic jams and pollution. And one of the biggest
sources of these problems? The city's famous jeepneys.
Global Electric Transport (GET) which has offices in the U.S., Hong Kong and the Philippines is looking to
set up a "complete transportation ecosystem" for the city, introducing its COMET electric vehicle to replace the
jeepney, which are a mini-buses based on the chassis of U.S. Army Jeeps left over in the Philippines after World
War II.
Richard l'Anson | Lonely Planet Images | Getty Images

"What we are trying to solve here is a problem," Freddie Tinga, GET's president, told CNBC's Sustainable
Energy.
"Most companies, they try to sell a product we are saying there is a problem out here pollution, traffic and
all of that," Tinga added.
"The idea is not only do you come up with an electric vehicle and, mind you, not an electric vehicle for the
rich but an electric vehicle for the masses (but) then you manage it."
The COMET uses lithium ion batteries and can carry up to 20 people and reach a top speed of 55 kilometers per
hour, according to GET.
"A jeepney generates about 40 kg of carbon dioxide emitted every day, so you take a jeepney out and you
replace it with an electric vehicle that is how much you change," Tinga said.
"If our goal is to hit 20,000 of these units in three years' time, you are talking about 800,000 kilograms a day of
carbon dioxide we will be taking out," he added.
Manila is not the only city looking to bring about a sea change in its transport system. In London hydrogen fuel
buses, electric hybrid buses and over 1,000 electric charging points highlight a commitment to going green.
Back in the Philippines, commuter Sara Brillantes said that it was, "about time our government does something
like this to regularize and to fix our transport system."