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A maintenance technician walks along the central control room of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in Morong, Bataan on Sept. 16, 2016. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

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Nuke

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/171377566148820160916-bnpp-nuclear-jc.webp" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false" style="text-align:left">A maintenance technician walks along the central control room of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in Morong, Bataan on Sept. 16, 2016. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Adding a “substantial” share of nuclear power in the Philippines’ energy mix will prevent electricity supply issues that recently triggered the raising of red and yellow alerts in the Luzon grid, according to the head of the Department of Science and Technology- Philippine Nuclear Research Institute. </p><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/17/23/philippines-us-sign-deal-on-nuclear-energy-cooperation">READ: Philippines, US sign &#x27;123&#x27; deal on nuclear energy cooperation</a></div><div> </div><p>DOST-PNRI Director Carlo Arcilla said at least 20 percent to 30 percent of nuclear energy would be considered a “substantial” share. </p><p>“If the electricity mix contains substantial nuclear, that won’t happen. Because the capacity factor of nuclear is 90 percent. The more you increase the percentage of nuclear in the mix, the more reliable the electricity, less dependent on weather,” he explained.</p><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/22/23/house-oks-bill-creating-nuclear-energy-regulator-framework">READ: House OKs bill creating nuclear energy regulator, framework</a></div><div> </div><p>“The plant maintenance is scheduled--one month every 18 months. Walang sudden breakdowns kasi tuloy-tuloy ‘yan eh. It’s very predictable,” Arcilla added.</p><p>The Philippines targets to make nuclear energy part of its energy mix by 2032, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in November 2023, following the signing of the “123 agreement” with the United States. The deal provides the legal basis for the US to export nuclear technology to the Philippines for peaceful uses.</p><p>Marcos earlier called for “the reevaluation of the possibility of safely developing nuclear energy in the Philippines,” as he recognized “the enormous potential of energy, given the highly advanced technologies and standards of safety, security and all the different safeguards that are now in place.”</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>SAFETY CONCERNS</strong></div><p>Arcilla and House Committee on Nuclear Energy Chairperson and Pangasinan 2nd District Rep. Mark Cojuangco allayed concerns about the safety of operating nuclear power plants.</p><p>“There have only been two accidents known: the Chernobyl, which was done because it was an illegal experiment, and Fukushima. In Fukushima, the plant was not destroyed by the earthquake. It was destroyed because the cooling system was put below. So binaha ‘yung cooling system ng tsunami,” he said.</p><p>“All the 450 nuclear plants in the world after Fukushima did a stress test. How will you prevent a Fukushima? You put the cooling systems at a higher elevation. It makes the possibility of a nuclear accident even much much much lower,” Arcilla added.</p><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/21/23/123-deal-with-us-to-jumpstart-ph-nuclear-energy-program-envoy">READ: &#x27;123&#x27; deal with US to jumpstart Philippine nuclear energy program: envoy</a></div><div> </div><p>“In Chernobyl, they don’t have a containment structure. We have here a containment structure,&quot; <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">the PNRI chief said, noting the design differences between Soviet plants and Western plants. </span></p><p>Cojuangco meanwhile insisted that nuclear is the safest source of energy.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Yw4tf5CwjxM?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>DOST-PNRI Director Carlo Arcilla said at least 20 percent to 30 percent of nuclear energy would be considered a “substantial” share.</p>

DOST-PNRI Director Carlo Arcilla said at least 20 percent to 30 percent of nuclear energy would be considered a “substantial” share.

'Substantial' nuclear energy in the electricity mix will prevent power shortage: PNRI

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'Substantial' nuclear energy in the electricity mix will prevent power shortage: PNRI

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published Apr 22, 2024 05:27 PM PHT

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Updated Apr 22, 2024 07:51 PM PHT

Read More:

Nuclear Energy

PNRI

Philippine Nuclear Research Institute

Carlo Arcilla

Mark Cojuangco

red alert

yellow alert

energy mix

ANC

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