The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), on Tuesday, May 7, said nuclear energy sources can help prevent energy shortages in the Philippines due to its "capacity factor" and "energy density."
In a PTV interview, PNRI Executive Director Carlo Arcilla said nuclear power has two factors—energy density and capacity.
Energy density means that even a tiny amount of nuclear fuel, about the size of a finger, contains an incredible amount of energy, he said.
"If you had several tons of coal, it's that powerful. It's a very, very concentrated power," he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Arcilla cited the second factor, "capacity factor," explaining that the availability of a nuclear plant is approximately 90 percent of the time.
"When you're running a nuclear plant, it's reliably available about 90 percent of the time, regardless of the weather," he said.
He further explained this by citing the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant as an example, along with other power plants built in the 1980s.
"Similar plants in Slovenia, South Korea, and Brazil have been in operation for 40 years and are even being relicensed for another 20 years," he said.
"These plants can run for an impressive 18 months straight without needing to refuel. The amount of fuel they require is roughly equivalent to what you'd put in a jeep, and they keep running continuously," he added.
The PNRI official then emphasized that nuclear energy production produces no emissions, including no carbon dioxide.
The cost of running such a plant is estimated to be around 30 million dollars.
If that were compared to a coal plant running for 18 months at 620 megawatts (MW), it would be the same.
"The amount of coal needed would fill 50 Panamax ships. Each Panamax ship carries 50,000 tons. That's 50 of them. Not to mention the CO2 (carbon dioxide). The cost of importing that coal would be around 800 million US dollars," he explained
The PNRI is a research and development institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)
Furthermore, Arcilla pointed out that even though nuclear power plants are initially costly to build, they have a lifespan of up to 80 years.
"America, for example, has 94 operating nuclear plants, average age, 60 years. Supplying 20 percent of America's energy. Many of them don't even know they have nuclear," he said.
Disposal of nuclear waste
Arcilla said nuclear waste will last for 10,000 years.
"While you do have nuclear waste, it's small enough that it can be buried," he said.
Therefore, the method to isolate it from human environments is through "deep geologic burial."
"So, you bury it 650 meters below the ground and wrap it in a material called bentonite," he said.
"Bentonite is a clay. Its crystal structure has a negative charge. So, when your uranium, which is positively charged, tries to escape, it gets trapped there. No escape," he explained.
Moreover, regarding safety, he pointed out that there are 450 nuclear power plants worldwide supplying 10 percent of electricity with zero emissions, and there have been only three significant accidents.
The DOST official then emphasized that the plan is to integrate nuclear power into the existing energy sources by 2032.
"But if the rehabilitation of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant pushes through, they say it could be operational in 4 years," Arcilla said.
However, he pointed out that political issues may be involved.
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