By Carlo Arcilla

For the second time during his presidency, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has underscored the urgent need to incorporate nuclear energy into the Philippines' power grid. With the country grappling with some of the highest electricity rates in the region, a fragmented island grid system, and exposure to global fuel price volatility, it faces a pivotal decision. Coal remains the single largest source of Philippine electricity — much of it imported, primarily from Indonesia — leaving the country acutely vulnerable to commodity price swings and complicating efforts to meet its emission reduction commitments under the Paris Agreement. Beyond political will, a strong body of scientific and economic evidence makes the case for adding nuclear power to the national energy mix.

1. Energy Density and Grid Reliability

The foremost advantage of nuclear power is its extraordinary energy density. While fossil fuels and renewables harness energy from atomic electron interactions, nuclear power derives energy by splitting the atomic nucleus — a process that yields roughly four million times the energy density of conventional sources.

Any serious discussion of energy options must also account for capacity factor:

• Nuclear power operates at approximately 92% availability, providing dependable baseload electricity.
• Solar and wind function intermittently, with capacity factors of only 20–30%.

Nuclear energy is not intended to displace renewables; instead, it complements them by delivering steady baseload power when solar and wind output declines. Equally important, nuclear generation produces zero direct carbon dioxide emissions during operation, consistent with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recommendation to scale up global nuclear capacity as part of the effort to combat climate change.

2. Safety Records and Next-Generation Technology

Although historical accidents have fueled public anxiety, statistical analyses of mortality per terawatt-hour place nuclear among the safest methods of energy generation. Modern engineering advances have further reduced the risks associated with earlier designs.

Past reactor meltdowns involved older water-moderated systems. By contrast, advanced Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) employ TRISO (Tristructural Isotropic) fuel. Sealed within protective silicon carbide coatings, TRISO fuel is designed to withstand high temperatures while containing radionuclides, making a core meltdown effectively impossible.

These compact reactors, ranging from 25 to 300 megawatts, present tailored options for the Philippines:

• Off-grid islands: Affordable, reliable electricity for remote provinces that currently depend on costly diesel generators.
• Industrial hubs: Dedicated, uninterrupted power for energy-intensive facilities such as data centers.

Commercial interest is already materializing. U.S. firm Valar Atomics, for instance, has announced plans to construct a prototype reactor in the Philippines, contingent on the establishment of proper regulatory frameworks.

3. Regulation and Policy: The Creation of PhilATOM

International nuclear vendors insist on a strong, independent regulatory authority before deploying technology and capital. In response, the Philippines passed Republic Act 12305, creating the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (PhilATOM).

PhilATOM functions as an independent agency focused on nuclear safety, security, and safeguards. Its jurisdiction extends beyond power plants to cover all uses of ionizing radiation, including medical X-rays, MRI machines, and industrial irradiation. The swift appointment of its leadership and the formulation of its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) are critical next steps to enable commercial nuclear projects under the oversight of the Department of Energy (DoE) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

4. Economic Imperative and Public Acceptance

Filipino households bear some of the highest electricity costs in Southeast Asia. A typical family spends approximately 10% of its take-home income on power, compared with just 1–5% in neighboring countries.

Although upfront capital costs for nuclear plants range from $5 billion to $10 billion, their extended operational lifespan of 60 to 80 years and low fuel expenses substantially reduce the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) over time. Research by nuclear experts suggests that operating nuclear facilities could ultimately deliver electricity at a lower cost than both coal and intermittent renewables.

Other ASEAN nations, including Indonesia and Vietnam, have also explored nuclear power as part of their long-term energy strategies, reflecting a broader regional reassessment of nuclear energy's role in achieving both energy security and decarbonization.

Public opinion also tilts in favor of nuclear adoption. According to DoE surveys, 79% of Filipinos support the use of nuclear energy. This broad acceptance is partly attributed to the millions of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) living in nuclear-powered nations who have directly experienced affordable, reliable electricity.

5. Re-evaluating the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant and Waste Management

The 620-megawatt Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), built by Westinghouse in the 1970s, was completed in 1984 at a cost of over $2 billion but was never loaded with fuel or operated commercially. Its mothballing coincided with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and the political transition of the People Power Revolution. Yet structurally identical sister plants — Kori-2 in South Korea, Krško in Slovenia, and Angra-1 in Brazil — have operated safely and profitably for decades. Recent geological surveys confirm that the BNPP site does not sit on an active fault line, and that nearby Mt. Natib is not an active volcano. South Korea's KHNP has stated that the BNPP can be safely rehabilitated to deliver near-term generation capacity.

On the question of spent fuel, long-term waste management is feasible through proven geological disposal methods. Because the physical volume of nuclear waste is comparatively small, the Philippines could adopt deep borehole disposal. By harnessing existing geothermal drilling technology to reach depths of three kilometers and combining it with engineered bentonite barriers, the country can achieve safe, permanently isolated storage without imposing burdens on future generations.

Dr. Carlo Arcilla holds a PhD in Geotechnical Engineering and Geosciences from the University of Illinois. He is a professor of Geosciences and head of the Earth Materials Science Laboratory at the National Institute of Geological Sciences, College of Science, University of the Philippines. He is also the immediate past director of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute.