Russia could become a major player in developing the Philippines' nuclear power industry once Manila decides to pursue nuclear energy as a means to cut the population's electricity costs, Carlo A. Arcilla, the director general of the Philippine Nuclear Research institute (PNRI), told Sputnik
VIENNA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th September, 2019) Russia could become a major player in developing the Philippines' nuclear power industry once Manila decides to pursue nuclear energy as a means to cut the population's electricity costs, Carlo A. Arcilla, the director general of the Philippine Nuclear Research institute (PNRI), told Sputnik."Russia can participate [in developing nuclear energy sector]. We are a democratic country, which means that all the participants have to pass through a bidding process. So [Russian nuclear corporation] Rosatom can participate in that ... If we open ourselves to nuclear energy, I am sure that Russia will be one of the biggest players there along with South Korea, Japan and China," Arcilla said, while at the same time stressing that the country's president had yet to sign a national position on opening the Philippines to nuclear power.
The official noted that an average Philippine family would spend 1,000 pesos ($19) per month for electricity, which is nearly 10 percent of take-home pay. The Philippines therefore needs to cut electricity costs and search for alternatives to natural gas, which the country is running out of, and is considering liquefied natural gas and nuclear energy as possible options, he explained.
The Philippines currently has no operational nuclear power plants one project on the Bataan Peninsula was in the works before being scrapped in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster and then the Fukushima incident. However, the current administration has been pushing to restart efforts to develop the industry, with Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi stating that the government was "openly considering" the option and that the International Atomic Energy Agency had completed an assessment determining the readiness of the country's infrastructure to accommodate new plants.
Experts from Russia's Rosatom have said that the Bataan nuclear plant could still be made operational after sending a team to inspect the facility.
