The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that including nuclear energy in the Philippines’ total power mix is only a long-term option as of now.
To fully use nuclear energy, the country is required to fulfil 19 infrastructure criteria set by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the international regulator for nuclear energy. At present, the Philippines meets only one requirement and is in the first stages. In February 2022, the Government of the Philippines decided to assess the feasibility of including nuclear power in the country’s energy mix as a reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable alternative for conventional energy sources like coal. Currently, the DOE only focuses on the development of small modular reactors, with a capacity between 50 MW and 300 MW.