A UNITED States expert on nuclear energy is in Manila to explain issues surrounding the possible revival of the controversial Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP).

Dennis Gana, corporate communications head of the National Power Corporation (Napocor), said Ian McKinley of the McKinley Consulting will visit the BNPP and will discuss concerns on radioactive waste disposal management on Monday.

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Aside from McKinley, Napocor president Froilan Tampinco, Pangasinan Representative Mark Cojuangco and Carlo Arcilla, associate professor at the National Institute of Geological Sciences of the University of the Philippines, will be present.

Other Napocor officials are also expected to attend the Nuclear Power forum slated at 10 a.m. Monday, Gana said.

Napocor earlier commissioned the Korea Electric Power Corp. (Kepco) to conduct a feasibility study on the possible revival of the BNPP.

It is expecting results of the feasibility studies be completed in the next two months or by September.

According to Tampinco, they are also confident the result of the Kepco study will help the government in making the right decision on whether to push for the revival of the BNPP and the use of nuclear power.

“At least we will have a clear direction on what particular options we should choose,” he added.

Earlier, Pio Benavidez, Napocor senior vice president, said the government would need over US$ 1 billion to rehabilitate the BNPP.

"Under the General Appropriations Act we have proposed a budget of P1 billion to restart the nuclear power plant," Benevidez said.

He further revealed that they have allotted P100 million budget for the feasibility study on the revival of BNPP.

"We are currently doing system verification review where all the parts are being verified if it still can be used," he said.

"We and the Korean have identified some that can be used and not. Out of that review, we will look at the results as to what can still be used and cannot be used," Benevidez further said.

He said initial results of the study indicated that "the system that have to be update are mostly on the electrical side (wiring and cable), particularly the controls, but in terms of the mechanical side it still can be used. We just have to replace the parts that have to be replaced to make it operation."

Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes admitted that the Philippines is not yet ready for nuclear power.

“Let us not get into it (nuclear power) unless we are dead sure that we are ready. We don’t want another situation where we put an expensive power plant and we can’t use it. The most expensive nuclear power plant is one that you set up but is not operational. We don’t want another one like that, thus if the country is not ready then it should not proceed with it,” Reyes said.

But he said they are still keeping their options on nuclear open since it is the cheapest source of power. (MSN/Sunnex)