A truthful thought…

Contributed by Chris Q. Roman – a concerned Bataeno in California

I am totally NOT IN FAVOR of revisiting the idea of reviving the BNPP. Here are the three (3) main reasons:

1. Retrofitting or converting it into different fuel source; i.e coal or natural gas would be a waste of time and money.  Might as well build a new one.
2. BNPP is way too old that the integrity of the structure itself is beyond acceptable. It has to be rebuilt anew in order to be retrofitted with the most modern safety and control systems.
3. BNPP was built in a geographical location where unstable elemental factors such as tropical storms, earthquake and tsunami are prevalent.

I hope the government will not succumb to the sweet deals and promises of big power corporations to revive the BNPP. To make profit is their main agenda rather than safety and integrity of the projects where they get so lax especially in many countries where policies are not as concrete and strict like in the US.

Besides it will create a possible path for corruption and could bury again the country into heavily debted situation and worse turn it into another big elephant project.

Let’s not get political or be economic gurus … that the country needs it . . . It’s a MORAL OBLIGATION.

I don’t have problem with nuclear power plants, that it is the best route for the long term solution to the power shortage.  Ample and stable supply at the grid must be met in order to sustain the desired economic progress.

But I’m NOT IN FAVOR of reviving the BNPP. I, myself witnessed how that big elephant project was wasted and cannibalized when it got mothballed decades ago. There’s nothing left of it that could be salvaged to bring it back to life. The integrity of the structure that was left standing is beyond acceptable, retrofitting or converting it will be a big waste of time and money.

It will be better to just build a new one. Innovative and most modern safety and control systems are available in the market. But the very main issue is the geographic location of the Philippines which lies in the ring of fire.  No amount of safety protection can guarantee that a nuclear power plant can survive an earthquake with a strong magnitude. Japan, which also lies at the ring of fire and far more developed than many countries in the world failed miserably in protecting itself from the chaos when they had a nuclear incident. Not to mention Russia and even US who also had their share of such terrible incident.

Now my question is: How prepared is the Philippines if that happens?

Everyone deserves to be aware and the government should protect them even at the slightest chance of a catastrophic nuclear incidence.

Just a truthful thought.

Editor’s Note:

The writer is a native of Orani, Bataan who is now based in San Francisco California with his wife and son. He has been in the power generation industry for more than 25 years. He started this rewarding and challenging career at the National Power Corporation (1991-1993) before migrating to the US where he was employed in big power companies like the General Electric, ABB-ALSTOM, Southern Company. Right now he is with Calpine Corporation.