22-5-2024 (MANILA) The Philippines and the United States announced on Tuesday a joint initiative to train Filipinos in the construction and operation of nuclear power plants, aiming to enhance the Southeast Asian nation’s electricity supply.
This development follows a nuclear cooperation agreement signed in November between Manila and Washington, which paved the way for US investments to revive nuclear power in the energy-deficient Philippines. Under the new agreement, the Philippine Department of Energy and the Philippine-American Educational Foundation will provide scholarships and exchange programs for Filipinos to study civil nuclear power and renewable energy.
“This initiative will aid the Philippines in developing the skilled workforce necessary to establish a clean energy infrastructure, including the operation of advanced nuclear power plants,” stated Daniel Kritenbrink, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, at a trade forum in Manila.
Philippine Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla emphasized that the “advanced training” is crucial to ensuring the country has the required human resources for the nuclear sector.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has shown a strong commitment to adopting nuclear power, even considering the revival of a $2.2 billion plant constructed during his father’s regime but never activated. The November agreement, signed during an Asia-Pacific summit in San Francisco, commits the Philippines to preventing the use of transferred nuclear material for weapon production.
These agreements, known as 123 agreements after their section in the US Atomic Energy Act, are essential for attracting investment from US nuclear companies, which are cautious about legal issues related to nuclear proliferation.
The United States also plans to establish a civil nuclear industry working group for Southeast Asia, headquartered in Manila. This group aims to link Philippine partners with US companies, thereby expediting the Philippines’ shift to clean and safe nuclear energy, according to Kritenbrink.
The Philippines frequently experiences electricity outages and currently relies on imported coal, which is environmentally damaging, for more than half of its power generation. The country also faces some of the highest energy costs in the region and an impending crisis as the Malampaya gas field, providing about 40 percent of power to the main island of Luzon, is projected to run out in a few years.
As part of its climate objectives, the Philippines aims for renewable energy sources, excluding nuclear, to constitute 50 percent of its power generation by 2040.
