THE GOVERNMENT is looking at proposals to convert the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) into a conventional energy facility and end its costly maintenance, President Benigno S. C. Aquino III revealed.
“Our interest now is to utilize it [the power plant] so that it would not become a bottomless pit,” Mr. Aquino told reporters on the sidelines of the launch of the Ninoy: My Hero photo exhibit in Mandaluyong City to honor his father, former senator Benigno “Ninoy” S. Aquino, Jr., in his 28th death anniversary.
The President said two entities have approached the government to convert the facility into either a coal- or gas-fired power plant to increase backup power supply.
He did not identify the interested parties.
“Normally, if you want to build a coal- or gas-fired power plant, you have to wait for three years minimum to develop the facility. Here, the infrastructure is already in place and we just need modifications. It will significantly cut down the time to make the plant operational,” he said.
Mr. Aquino said that redeveloping the facility will significantly raise surplus electricity.
“If the buffer is big, it will attract investments to come in, and we will have sufficient electricity during the El Niño, for example,” he said, referring to supply shortage when the operations of hydroelectric power plants are either downscaled or shut down due to low dam levels.
The redevelopment of BNPP issue was discussed during the exhibit as a montage of video clips from various interviews and speaking engagements of Ninoy Aquino showed him urging for an investigation into the construction of the $2.3-billion nuclear power plant, specifically on the claims that Westinghouse Electric Corp., which built the facility, had overpriced the contract and bribed its way to get the deal during the Marcos regime. He also cited environmental and health concerns on the plant.
“That was 30 years ago when my father questioned the Westinghouse deal. We still have not got any justice. And these issues have still not been settled 30 years later,” Mr. Aquino said.
He added that the government is still paying P40 million-P50 million a year to maintain the facility.
The construction of BNPP was started in 1986 but was never fully completed. When then dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos was overthrown in 1986, his successor, the late Corazon “Cory” C. Aquino, the President’s mother, opted not to operate the power plant and instead ordered the filing of a suit against Westinghouse.
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By: NRM
Source: Business World, Aug. 21, 2011
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