The Philippines plans to launch its first 600-megawatt (MW) nuclear power plant by 2025, according to data from the Department of Energy (DOE).

In its latest Philippine Energy Plan (PEP), it was noted that the new nuclear power facility is expected to contribute 0.885 million tonne oil equivalent (MTOE) to the projected energy mix and will reach up to 3.54 MTOE by 2035.

The DOE said it expects additional nuclear capacities of 600 MW to be in place by 2027, 2030 and 2034. With this, the total capacity from nuclear under PEP 1998-2035 is projected to reach 2,400 MW by the end of the planning period.

The PEP said that the Arroyo administration will be pushing for capability building and enhancement on the various aspects of nuclear energy which will specifically involve training of local manpower for the possible introducton of nuclear into the country’s energy system.

The DOE is currently looking at the possibility of re-building local technical capability in nuclear sciences and engineering.

As a long-term solution to meet future power demand, the government is exploring two options for nuclear energy development. 

The Philippine government had spent about $2.1 billion for the construction of the BNPP and is setting aside some P40 million a year for its maintenance up to now.