MANILA, Philippines--The Department of Energy is considering undertaking a comprehensive study on the feasibility of delving into nuclear power generation, upon the recommendation of a United Nations-sanctioned body.

Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes said the eight-person delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had recommended the conduct of a thorough feasibility study before deciding whether or not to go into nuclear power generation.

"The study should be comprehensive, all-encompassing. It will take us two years to do that, but that will put us in a position to make an informed judgment to say go or no go. The (government) core group is still undertaking research," he told reporters.

The core group is composed of key experts from the DOE, National Power Corp. and the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology.

The IAEA group came to the Philippines in January to visit the mothballed 620-megawatt (MW) Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) in Morong and help the government in deciding whether or not to pursue nuclear power generation.

In an earlier interview, Reyes said the group would not decide for the country on this matter.

The IAEA team would merely make a recommendation on what could be the best options for the government—whether to rehabilitate and refire the BNPP, to convert it to a plant that used another type of fuel, or to just scrap it altogether.

"In other words, they will not recommend to us to either open it or not open it, or rehabilitate or not rehabilitate. They will just advise us on what we have to do to arrive at that decision. But we are not compelled to accept any of their recommendations," he said.