4 Apr (NucNet): Russian ambassador to the Philippines Igor Khovaev said the abandoned Bataan nuclear power station project north of Manila is beyond revival, CNN Philippines reported.
Mr Khovaev told the network that the technology in the plant was “absolutely outdated”. He said: “The safety standards, [the] international standards are much, much higher than the standards on which the Bataan plant was built, so I think it's not possible at all.”
Constructed under former president Ferdinand Marcos’ regime, the Bataan plant is the Philippines’ first and only nuclear power station to date. But the single Westinghouse pressurised water reactor unit never operated due to “issues regarding corruption and safety, compounded by the fear following the Chernobyl disaster in 1986”, CNN said.
Mr Khovaev’s comments come after Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom conducted an assessment of the facility in August 2017 to determine if it was fit for commissioning.
In 2008 the International Atomic Energy Agency sent a team of experts to Bataan. The team said the plant must be “thoroughly evaluated” by technical inspections and economic evaluations by nuclear power experts with experience in preservation management.
Earlier this year Philippines energy secretary Alfonso Cusi said the country was considering a civilian nuclear power programme, but needs to develop human resources.
