Philippines Eyes Micro Nuclear Fuel Tech To Address Power Woes

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. is considering a "cutting-edge" micro nuclear fuel technology as part of the government's solutions to solve the country's power crisis.

This came after Marcos' meeting with officials of Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) – a Washington-based provider of nuclear technologies and services who expressed interest to bring clean and reliable nuclear energy to the Philippines, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said on Tuesday according to this report from the Philippine News Agency.

The PCO said the Marcos administration has made it a top priority to ensure the continued supply of energy while promoting the utilization of renewable energy sources. It also said UNSC is considering the Philippines as the site of its first nuclear energy facility in Southeast Asia while noting the series of blackouts in some parts of the country.

Francesco Venneri, CEO of UNSC said bringing the micro nuclear fuel technology into the country is "probably a very important way for us to enter the market."

"We also note that there's a great deal of discussion about Mindoro having blackouts and that might be an excellent....a good science [solution]," Venneri said in a statement as quoted by the Inquirer.

Last month, power outages hit Occidental Mindoro for several weeks until three power plants finally resumed full operations in the province. The Occidental Mindoro Consolidated Power Corp. (OMCPC) earlier shut down two of its power plants after failing to receive its fuel subsidy from the National Power Corp. (Napocor). The subsidy is meant as an incentive for companies operating in off-grid areas like Occidental Mindoro and is meant to cut electricity costs in areas not connected to power grids in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. To address the province's power woes, the National Electrification Agency (NEA) ordered OMPC to resume full operations to which the latter obliged despite potential financial losses.

In addressing the country's power woes, USNC said it is aiming to bring the Micro Modular Reactor (MMR) energy system to the country. The MMR is licensed in Canada and the U.S. and is a fourth-generation nuclear energy system that seeks to deliver safe, clean and cost-effective electricity to users.

Marcos earlier met with President Joe Biden at the White House where the latter affirmed the "ironclad" U.S. commitment to defending the country. Aside from this, the two leaders also discussed increased collaboration on renewable energy production to address the climate crisis.

In a joint statement, Marcos and Biden said "The United States and the Philippines will also pursue an ambitious program of cooperation on wind, solar, and geothermal energy, while enhancing cooperation on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the waste, road, and shipping sectors."