THE BATAAN

NUCLEAR POWER
PLANT
Fred D. Cebrian, Jr.
Mapua Institute of Technology
Intramuros, Manila

BASIC STATISTICS
Location: Morong, Bataan

Area: 3.57 km2

Reactor type: light water

(fission reactor)
Construction started:
1976
Construction cost: $US
2.3B
Status: Inactive

ISSUES
Primary: can the plant be rehabilitated?

The above question leads to the inference that the BNPP

is not a safe facility to generate nuclear power in as it is

right now
It must be noted that back in the late 1970s, a safety
inquiry was conducted in the then-unfinished BNNP,
which revealed more than 4000 defects

ISSUES
In 2008, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

conducted a site-wide inspection

The IAEA concluded that further study would be
necessary in order to determine the workability of a
rehabilitation plan
It is noted that for a mothballed facility, the BNNP is
surprisingly well-maintained but it is clear that this alone
would not be enough to ensure that the BNNP would be
safe to use

ISSUES
Another issue of interest would be the budget needed to

fully rehabilitated the BNNP

Korea
Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), in
conjunction with the National Power Corporation
(NAPOCOR) assessed the amount required, pegging it at
$US 1B
Would paying such an amount be possible for the
government?
Would doing so be more beneficial both in the short and
long run?

ETHICAL CONCERNS
PROS

CONS

Nuclear power may very well be the The use of nuclear energy is
solution to the Philippines energy
criticized by many sectors as
problems, providing for affordable
extremely dangerous to health and
electricity for all and preventing a
public safety, very risky, and
monopoly on power generation
possessed of a tendency to
outnumber by way of potential
dangers any possible benefit it may
grant
The cost of rehabilitating the plant Rehabilitating the plant would be a
is indeed high, but it would be worth
futile exercise, considering past
it in the long run a great loss in
accidents involving nuclear reactors
the beginning outweighed by a
a more reasonable and affordable
number of long-lasting benefits in
alternative would be to have the
the end
BNNP remain a tourist attraction
and instead invest in renewable
energy

RECOMMENDATIONS
The raging debate on the merits of nuclear power aside, it

is recommended that the government seriously study the

prospect of having the BNNP rehabilitated
The IAEAs suggestion of having a dedicated team of
nuclear experts study and evaluate the BNNP in view of
rehabilitation should also be heeded and resorted to