Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that the time may be ripe to explore nuclear energy to solve the country’s rising electricity cost, which has become the highest among its Southeast Asian peers.
In the State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 27, an annual televised speech by the president to a joint session of the two legislative branches of the government, Marcos Jr. admitted that energy and inflation are the top challenges of the country amid external disruptions to trade, such as the war in the Middle East.
Nuclear-powered Philippines
While Marcos Jr. did not divulge details on the government’s nuclear energy roadmap, he said that there will be a proper plan and execution for the public to understand.
“We will ensure it is safe. We will ensure the good benefits of nuclear energy will be explained properly to the public,” he said.
In May 2024, the Philippine government announced a deal with the United States about sending local experts to train on how to build and operate nuclear power plants.
Manila has also previously discussed nuclear energy cooperation with other countries such as Japan, France, and Russia.
Ironically, it was the current president’s father, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., who initiated the building of Southeast Asia’s first-ever nuclear power plant, the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in 1973.
The initiative was fueled by the oil crisis of the time. However, the facility never operated due to safety concerns about the building caused by large-scale government corruption.
Successive governments also refused to develop the nuclear power plant following the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster in Ukraine in 1986.
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Malampaya, hydrogen energy
The president also mentioned that drilling operations have resumed at the Malampaya gas field following the discovery of a significant gas resource that could keep the site powering the Luzon grid.
The drilling operations confirmed that about 222 billion cubic feet of natural gas were found at the gas field.
This could power approximately 1.6 million households for the next eight years.
Additionally, Marcos Jr. said the national government will co-manage two petroleum service contracts with the Bangsamoro administration, a first in the country’s history.
He revealed that other hydrogen power plants are set to rise in Marinduque, Masbate, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Basilan.
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