Recto: Decision to revive BNPP should be based on science, not politics

WITH President Rodrigo Duterte's decision to go ahead with studies to arrive at a decision whether or not to revive the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto said that the decision should be science based and not driven by the bureaucracy.

Recto said that one expert had said that operating the nuclear plant could displace the equivalent of 1.7 million tons of coal loaded on a 200-kilometer train a year.

He was also told, however, by other sectors to be cautious as other countries like Germany are shutting down 17 nuclear plants by 2022 and Japan would also start saying sayonara to many of theirs.

"Before government makes firm orders and commitments, it should hear these voices first," Recto said.

Recto said that the greenlight to rehabilitate must come from scientists, based on an unassailable study whose conclusion is that a dead plant can be safely resurrected beyond reasonable doubt.

"It should be a science-based decision, and not because someone has a 'light bulb' moment and then immediately orders that the plant be switched on," he said.

Recto also said that an economic study should be conducted.

Recto said the country paid almost P70 billion for an overpriced plant that never produced a single watt of electricity.

"If restarting the plant would require another P50 billion, then it is but proper that all financial transactions related to the project must be placed under the glare of a powerful spotlight," he said.

The forecast is that by 2030, the country must have 30,189 MW of dependable capacity, up from the current 17,925 MW.

To bridge the gap, about 6,178 MW have been committed, and more tenders are forthcoming. Are the committed projects and indigenous sources already enough to bridge the projected gap?

Recto said government must be ready to pull the plug should it become clear that the planned rehabilitation cannot hurdle technical and economic requirements.

"The project must have an abort button," Recto said. (Sunnex)

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