A Philippine lawmaker on Friday criticized the proposed privatization of the Philippine Nuclear Power Plant (PNPP) in Bataan, which has remained mothballed for four decades, saying it could delay the country’s adoption of nuclear energy and affect the facility’s role in the country’s long-term energy plans.
“I am against the privatization of PNPP. For me, it should remain 100% government-owned. It should not be privatized because it belongs to us,” Mark O. Cojuangco, Pangasinan 2nd District representative, said during a media forum organized by Alpas Pinas, a pro-nuclear advocacy group.
The longtime staunch advocate of nuclear energy said the privatization of PNPP, a 620-megawatt nuclear power facility in Bataan that has never operated, could delay its recommissioning and further prolong efforts to address the country’s growing energy demand.
“We are concerned that this proposed direction could further delay action on the country’s growing energy needs. As time passes, we are falling further behind,” Mr. Cojuangco said.
He called on the government to present a concrete plan for the plant’s recommissioning.
“We call for a concrete plan from the government, so we can work toward the recommissioning of PNPP and secure nuclear power to strengthen the national grid,” he said.
Mr. Cojuangco’s remarks came in response to Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin’s earlier statement that the government was considering the possible sale of BNPP to a private developer.
Another option under consideration is for the government to take an equity stake in the facility’s development through a partnership with a private energy company.
Instead of selling PNPP to a private company, Mr. Cojuangco said the government could bid out the plant’s construction, operation and maintenance to private-sector companies while retaining full ownership of the facility.
He said prospective contractors should first demonstrate their capability to operate a nuclear power plant.
“If we are afraid that the government is corrupt and incapable of operating the plant, then we should bid out its construction, operation and maintenance to the private sector and let them prove their capability to operate a nuclear power plant first,” he said. — Edg Adrian A. Eva
