Nuclear power as best option

Even in defeat, our very own Manny Pacquiao showed the world his fine character that we should all be proud of. Broadcast on TV all over the world was his gallantry and sportsmanship, when he calmly accepted his opponent’s victory, and said he was willing to have a rematch.  

Pacman’s gesture reminded me of several quotable quotes. John McGraw said, “Tactics, fitness, stroke ability, adaptability, experience, and sportsmanship are all necessary for winning.”

Mark Twain also said, “One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than a hundred teaching it.”

And Chili Davis said, “Sportsmanship and easygoing methods are all right, but it is the prospect of a hot fight that brings out the crowds.”

By his action, Manny has further won the admiration of his fans and observers from across the globe. Let’s wait for his hot rematch with Timothy Bradley.

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This brings us to a hot topic — the rehabilitation of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant — mothballed since 1986 — now ardently espoused by former Rep. Mark Cojuangco. The congressman, representing the 5th district of Pangasinan in the 14th Congress, is not only gunning for the rehabilitation of the BNPP, but is also asking the support of local governments in Mindanao and the Visayas for building smaller nuclear power plants in their areas. The provincial boards of Zamboanga del Sur and Pangasinan have passed resolutions inviting the national government to explore the feasibility of locating power plants in their areas.

The issue of nuclear power is still controversial, triggered by the fear of nuclear power plant breakdowns in Chernobyl in the former Soviet Union, the Third Mile Island in Dauphin, Pennsylvania, and lately, Fukishima in Japan, are bound to occur in a rehabilitated plant in Bataan, thereby harming the population around the plant with radiation leakage. Cojuangco sought to dispel the fears and misconceptions of media persons at a Bulong Pulungan session recently, and present the advantages of nuclear power as a viable source of energy, particularly at this time of high prices and - a diminishing supply — of electric power particularly in Mindanao.

Armed with a power point presentation and years of research into the issue, the businessman explained that nuclear power is the cheapest, safest and most reliable source of alternative energy and that the BNPP can be rehabilitated at a lower cost than putting up another power plant using wind and fossil fuel power other conventional renewable energy sources. Wind power requires an investment of 4.5 to 7.5 times than the investment required for nuclear or fossil fuel power, Solar is even more expensive, and the renewable, except geothermal, are not of base-load quality, that is, being able to supply power needs 24 hours, seven days a week.

Cojuangco said lack of electricity stops the economy, growth, job creation, and other activities of man. He said that in the 1960s and 1970s, the Philippines had one of the highest per capita consumption of power, much higher than that of South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. But now the per capita consumption of Filipinos, compared to South Koreans, is 1:25. This means, he said, that an average South Korean is 25 times richer than a Filipino.

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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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