Koreans offer training program for Bataan Nuclear Power Plant

MANILA  -Korea’s state-owned power generation firm is offering a nuclear training program to the Philippine government as part of the package to refurbish the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), replicating the competency and work program being used in the East Asian country.

A senior executive from Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. Ltd. (KHNP), a subsidiary of  Korea Electric Power Corp., said in a recent interview that the training will take two to three years, which would include classroom training, as well as practical experience.

“For classroom training, it’s going to take eight to nine months. And then we also need on-the-job training and shadow training with our engineers and technicians,” the company official told reporters during a press tour organized by the Korean Culture and Information Services last Sept. 18 to Sept. 22.

“This is part of the feasibility study. We are trying to establish a road map and that is why we want to do it together with the [Department of Energy],” she added.

The KHNP official estimates that the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant—which would become the country’s first if it becomes operational—would need around 300 personnel.

Stalled rehabilitation

The KHNP had earlier conducted a prefeasibility study of the more-than-five-decade-old plant in 2008 and 2017, but the actual rehabilitation of the 357-hectare facility had not pushed forward.

South Korea eyes revival of mothballed Bataan nuke plant

The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, which is identical to KHNP’s facility in Busan, South Korea, was built by American nuclear power company Westinghouse Electric in the mid-1970s, during the regime of President Bongbong Marcos’ father.

The 620-megawatt facility was never operated, due to corruption allegations, as well as safety concerns.

Other nuke deals

Aside from South Korea, the Philippines is currently looking into possible nuclear deals with other countries such as France and China, to address the country’s growing power needs.

READ: PH eyes use of small nuclear reactors for power generation

Earlier in May, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual also said they were looking into small modular nuclear reactors from the United States, as well as the possibility of producing them in the country.

Today, most of the Philippines’ power plants are coal-fired and diesel-fed, tying the cost of electricity to the volatile global market prices of coal and oil.