The Philippines is making progress toward its goal of nuclear power generation, but delivering its first kilowatts by 2032 may prove difficult, according to the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), a Paris-based intergovernmental organization.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Philippine Nuclear Regulatory Framework Workshop on Wednesday, NEA Director-General William D. Magwood IV said the country is “well-positioned” to achieve its nuclear energy ambitions, although delays in getting power plants up and running could push the 2032 timeline back.

“I don’t think you’re going to have the first reactor operating in six years. It simply takes longer than that. You might have a decision in six years. This is very complicated,” Mr. Magwood said.

“I think you have as a base — the right kinds of people, the right kinds of expertise, and the right kind of leadership to be successful.”

For countries introducing nuclear power for the first time, building the regulatory institutions, licensing processes, and technical workforce that must be in place before construction is typically a multiyear undertaking in itself — a reality the Philippines’ own regulatory build-out reflects.

The Philippine Energy Plan calls for nuclear energy to be integrated into the national power mix by 2032, beginning with at least 1,200 megawatts (MW) coming online initially, doubling to 2,400 MW by 2045 and reaching 4,800 MW by 2050.

To pursue that goal, the Philippines is exploring the revival of the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant as well as the construction of smaller nuclear reactors. The Bataan facility, completed in the 1980s but never fueled or operated, has remained idle ever since.

The NEA is an arm of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, tasked with assisting countries in maintaining and further developing the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Patrick T. Aquino, director of the Department of Energy’s Energy Utilization Management Bureau, said the government’s nuclear energy targets are intended to push agencies to accelerate preparations for nuclear power development. He acknowledged that actual delivery of electricity from the projects could begin by 2038.

“Nuclear power projects take a long time, take a lot of push. We are still not officially changing (but are) still hopeful of getting it done,” Mr. Aquino said.

The Philippines began building the institutional and regulatory foundations needed to introduce nuclear power through Republic Act (RA) No. 12305, or the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act. Signed on Sept. 18, 2025, RA 12305 establishes the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority, or PhilATOM, an independent nuclear regulator responsible for overseeing all nuclear and radiation-related activities.

The implementing rules and regulations of the law were supposed to be issued within 180 days from its effectivity, but the Office of the President has yet to appoint the officials who will comprise the PhilATOM Council. Until those appointments are made, the regulator cannot be fully constituted.

“I think (Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin) has mentioned that she has actively reminded the Office of the President on the need to have appointments for PhilATOM,” Mr. Aquino said.

The appointment of the PhilATOM Council and the issuance of the implementing rules and regulations are the next concrete steps to watch as the program works to move from legal framework to operational readiness.

— Sheldeen Joy Talavera, BusinessWorld

Source: BusinessWorld Online