DICT proposes converting Bataan nuclear power plant into data center hub

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) proposed transforming the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) into a data center hub to attract hyperscaler investments.

DICT Secretary Henry Roel Aguda said the government is working to position the country as the region’s next data center hub, and the BNPP is a potential site for a hyperscaler complex.

The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) is funding a feasibility study to determine if the BNPP could still be used for nuclear power generation, with the final decision to be made by the Department of Energy (DOE).

The study is expected to be completed by November, after which the DICT will conduct its own assessment of the site’s potential for data center use.

“There are ingredients of a hyperscaler there — the infrastructure, the location, a freeport, fiber optic connectivity,” Aguda said at a Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) general membership meeting Wednesday.

He said the nearest landing station is in Poro Point, La Union.

The BNPP could provide up to 600 megawatts of capacity, a significant contribution to the government’s goal of reaching one gigawatt within three years by boosting nationwide connectivity.

The Philippines has 180 MW of data center capacity, compared to Singapore’s one gigawatt. Malaysia hosts 600 MW, while Vietnam and Cambodia are also attracting hyperscaler activity, Aguda said.

While past concerns existed about high power costs, Aguda noted that Philippine energy rates are now on par with Malaysia’s and lower than Singapore’s, making the country more attractive to hyperscalers.

He said, however, connectivity remains the main challenge the DICT is addressing.

The Bataan provincial government proposed converting the BNPP into a data center hub last year, with several stakeholders and potential locators expressing support.

Commissioned in 1973 under President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., the BNPP was completed in 1984 but never operated due to corruption allegations and safety concerns over its location near Mount Natib. In 1986, President Corazon Aquino ordered the plant’s shutdown under Executive Order No. 55 after the government had already paid $2.2 billion to contractors, including Westinghouse.