The Department of Energy (DOE) is planning a deliberate and secure approach to the development of nuclear energy in the country.
In a report by the Philippine Star, DOE Undersecretary Sharon Garin said that the chosen approach is to ensure the safety of nuclear energy, minimizing the safety risk as well as physical threat.
With this, the DOE is hoping for a positive outcome next year to introduce nuclear energy to the power mix by 2032 or 2033.
The energy department is also hoping that by 2024, the law and roadmap for nuclear energy will be wrapped up along with training, survey, and communication plans.
Considering the turnaround for the construction of a nuclear plant and review would take about four to five years respectively, the law should already be ready by next year, Garin said.
However, the speed at which all of these tasks will be completed doesn’t imply that nuclear projects will be developed in the succeeding year. It only means that the department is thoroughly reviewing the project, as it is not something that can be done immediately.
As specified in the draft Philippine Energy Plan (PEP) 2023 to 2050, the clean energy scenario considers the entry of nuclear energy, with a capacity of 1,200 megawatts (MW) by 2032, 2,400 MW by 2035, and 4,800 MW by 2050.
