Philippines weighs reviving dormant Bataan nuclear plant amid energy worries
The Marcos administration is studying whether to restart the long-idle Bataan Nuclear Power Plant to boost the country’s energy security.
Noel Germano and a small team continue to maintain the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, a relic of Ferdinand Marcos’s 1970s modernization drive. President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos’s government has commissioned a Korean firm to assess the plant’s revival, but the Energy Department has not released the study’s conclusions. Experts estimate that about 25 % of the plant’s components would need replacement, costing roughly $1 billion, and the earliest realistic operation date may be 2038.
Proponents argue the plant could secure the Philippines against oil-price shocks, while opponents fear earthquake and tsunami vulnerability and recall past corruption allegations. Public sentiment appears to have shifted, with a 2024 poll indicating more than 70 % support for nuclear energy, though many locals remain uneasy about safety. Manager Germano, set to retire in 2030, doubts the plant will be operational within his tenure.
Why it matters
Reviving the plant could reshape the Philippines’ energy mix, but costs and safety concerns pose major challenges.
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