The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expressed support for the Philippines’ move towards the realization of its nuclear energy program with an initial 1,200 megawatts of capacity by 2023.
“We are ready to support the Philippines as it reconsiders nuclear power,” IAEA director-general Rafael Mariano Grossi said in his tweet after meeting with the Philippine nuclear delegation in Vienna, Austria recently.
The conference aims to provide a platform for multilateral discussion and cooperation in promoting a strong and sustainable global nuclear safety and security framework in member-states to protect people, society and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.
The Philippines participated in the 68th regular session of the IAEA general conference in Vienna, Austria from Sept. 16 to 20, 2024.
Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Sharon Garin said during the high-level general debate of the IAEA conference that 2024 is a landmark year for the Philippines with the release of its nuclear roadmap, outlining the country’s path forward using the IAEA’s milestones approach to develop a nuclear program.
“We aim to have commercially operational nuclear power plants by 2032, with at least 1,200 MW initially entering the country’s power mix, gradually increasing to 4,800 MW by 2050,” said Garin.
Garin said the Philippines is actively working in its efforts to establish an independent nuclear regulatory authority to oversee the safe and secure development of the country’s nuclear energy program (NEP).
She said the government is giving high priority to the approval of key legislation focused on nuclear safety, ensuring that the legal and regulatory frameworks are in place to safeguard public health, environmental protection and national security.
Garin said that at the heart of the country’s nuclear efforts is the Nuclear Energy Program – Inter-Agency Committee (NEP-IAC), led by the DOE, which adopts a whole-of-government approach in integrating nuclear power in the country’s energy mix.
The NEP-IAC formed six subcommittees to divide and tackle the 19 infrastructures issues outlined by the IAEA.
The Philippines will host the International Nuclear Supply Chain Forum in Manila in November, bringing government and private sector stakeholders to explore partnership opportunities in nuclear energy.
Garin invited the participants of the IAEA general conference to attend the important event and reaffirmed the Philippines’ strong support for the peaceful uses of atomic energy, emphasizing nuclear safety, security, and non-proliferation.
She highlighted the country’s non-power nuclear projects in fields such as food and agriculture; health and medicine, especially cancer care; plastics recycling; education and women empowerment.
“The beneficial uses of nuclear technology have been extensive across sectors, leading to improved quality of life. These uses span the fields of health and medical, agriculture, industrial and energy”, Garin said.
