Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said Friday he is set to sign next month a cooperation agreement with the US on nuclear power development, specifically in the area of small modular reactors, as part of the government’s move toward energy security.
“We’re pushing for the inclusion of SMR are in our energy mix, and we have already prepared all the frameworks, and all we need now is to get the approval of the President to have it in our energy mix. In fact, I’m going to the US, I think in the first week of March to sign a cooperation on nuclear [and the MOU],” Cusi said during the virtual economic briefing organized by the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C.
Under the definition of the International Atomic Energy Agency, SMRs “are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of up to 300 MW(e) per unit, which is about one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors”.
SMRs are considered ideal for industrial utilization, as well as for use in remote areas with limited grid access because of their size.