Business World Online
Posted on February 18, 2014 11:09:25 PM
THE GOVERNMENT may revive plans to build a nuclear power plant to address future power deficits, an energy official said.
Department of Energy (DoE) Undersecretary Raul B. Aguilos said that the country will be experiencing a wider shortage by 2018 if committed projects are not on board.
“We are looking at the options to increase our base load capacity -- our available capacity. That’s why we are not closing our eyes on clean and cheap energy,” Mr. Aguilos said, when asked on plans to put up a nuclear power plant.
He cited a “problem on social acceptance” for the failure of the country’s lone nuclear power facility, the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, to be completed.
“We need a legal framework -- whatever framework that would be put to us; that could be a law or something we could follow,” Mr. Aguilos said.
He also said that the proposal would have to start from scratch and would likely take five to 10 years before being firmed up.
“We start from the social acceptance, people’s participation, legal framework, financing -- all these will have to be taken into consideration,” the official noted.
DEFICIT
Mr. Aguilos stressed that the country would experience a huge energy supply deficit by 2018, hence the government’s push for more engagements with the private sector to expand the country’s energy capacity.
“If all these committed projects will not be kicked in, looking at our existing capacity, of course, we will be having a deficit of around 400 to 500 megawatts (MW) in Luzon alone,” he said.
Visayas would have a more than 100-MW deficit by then while Mindanao already lacks power.
“Mindanao is the real problem as far as capacity is concerned,” Mr. Aguilos said, noting that consumers there have experienced blackouts lasting several hours in the past few years. -- Lorenz Christoffer S. Marasigan source
“We are looking at the options to increase our base load capacity -- our available capacity. That’s why we are not closing our eyes on clean and cheap energy,” Mr. Aguilos said, when asked on plans to put up a nuclear power plant.
He cited a “problem on social acceptance” for the failure of the country’s lone nuclear power facility, the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, to be completed.
“We need a legal framework -- whatever framework that would be put to us; that could be a law or something we could follow,” Mr. Aguilos said.
He also said that the proposal would have to start from scratch and would likely take five to 10 years before being firmed up.
“We start from the social acceptance, people’s participation, legal framework, financing -- all these will have to be taken into consideration,” the official noted.
DEFICIT
Mr. Aguilos stressed that the country would experience a huge energy supply deficit by 2018, hence the government’s push for more engagements with the private sector to expand the country’s energy capacity.
“If all these committed projects will not be kicked in, looking at our existing capacity, of course, we will be having a deficit of around 400 to 500 megawatts (MW) in Luzon alone,” he said.
Visayas would have a more than 100-MW deficit by then while Mindanao already lacks power.
“Mindanao is the real problem as far as capacity is concerned,” Mr. Aguilos said, noting that consumers there have experienced blackouts lasting several hours in the past few years. -- Lorenz Christoffer S. Marasigan source
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