Monday, April 16, 2012

PHILIPPINES: Palace keen to study proposals on nuclear power technology

THE PRESIDENT has vowed to carefully study proposals to utilize nuclear power technology to address the power shortage in Mindanao, even as he expressed reservations over the potential safety hazards posed by the unfamiliar technology.

“There is an ongoing study on the possible use of nuclear power in Mindanao by the DoST (Department of Science and Technology),” President Benigno S. C. Aquino III said.

He added that he was open to studying the proposal by lawmaker Mark Cojuangco that “small modular reactors” -- touted as a safer form of nuclear power -- could be developed for Mindanao, but indicated this was low on the list of alternative sources of energy.

He underscored that his main concern would be for international safety standards to be assured so as to avoid the radiation accident in Fukushima, Japan.

“Japan with all its technical prowess was very hard put to address the situation in Fukushima and they have been utilizing nuclear energy for quite a long time. Can we say that we can do better than them right off the bat?” Mr. Aquino said.

He indicated that even Germany is “rethinking” utilizing nuclear energy.

“We really have to study the matter very, very, well,” he said.

Meanwhile, the President said that it is within the interest of the administration to cut power subsidies.

While the government is shouldering the P2.6-billion rehabilitation of the Agus hydropower plant, among other attendant repairs, the government has to source the funds for subsidies in the budget. And when prices are kept “artificially low,” citizens are not obliged to conserve power, thereby exacerbating the problem.

“If you give subsidies in this manner... if it comes to a point where you have to cut the subsidy, the citizenry will object. You return to that problem of opportunity lost and [additional] cost,” Mr. Aquino said.

The President reiterated that he is open to the privatization of hydropower plants in Mindanao, specifically because it would ensure efficient administration, and increasing generation capacity of the aged plants will be assured.

“What we are aiming for is to make the power rates reasonable. And the first step really has to be an excess of generating capacity that will foster competition. That is already existent in Luzon. We have something like 2,000 megawatts of surplus and about... 400 or 600 megawatts for the Visayas,” Mr. Aquino said.

Nevertheless, he said that he will listen to the arguments of local governors in Mindanao if indeed they will submit a manifesto against the privatization of the Pulangui and Agus hydropower plants.

“We will have to see how reasonable their statements are then I’m open to discussing it further with them,” Mr. Aquino said, adding that the Electric Power Industry Reform Act allows the government to “further delay the privatization” of the National Power Corp. assets.

The President had earlier tackled the same issues at last week’s Power Summit in Davao, where he appealed to Mindanaoans to share the burden of stabilizing the power supply in the region via a diverse mix of power sources, inclusive of existent hydropower plants and imported power barges.

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