A seven-phase licensing roadmap for nuclear power projects has been locked in and is now set to be rolled out to investors eyeing entry into the nuclear sector, the Department of Energy (DOE) declared Tuesday.
The roadmap doesn’t tiptoe around the process. It lays out, in hard terms, the phases covering business registration and permits; environmental clearances and siting; licensing by the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (PhilAtom) to build or obtain a provisional permit; sector-specific approvals; operational permits; construction oversight; and licensing for operation, testing and commissioning.
This framework was hammered out during a Feb. 11 meeting that drew more than 100 stakeholders, led by Energy Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara, Finance Undersecretary Catherine Fong, and Philippine Nuclear Research Institute Director Carlo Arcilla — a clear signal that the government is moving this agenda with force.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin made it plain that the government intends to start accepting nuclear plant license applications within the year.
“By finalizing this harmonized licensing roadmap, we are sending a clear signal that the Philippines is preparing for nuclear energy with discipline and foresight,” Garin said.
Guevarra underscored that the push to embed nuclear energy into the country’s power mix is about locking in long-term strength and growth.
“The bid to include nuclear energy among the country’s power sources aims to secure ‘a sustainable, high-growth future for the Filipino people.’”
“This vision’s fulfillment will not materialize solely by the technology we choose or by the power plants we build. It rests on the strength, clarity and predictability of the regulatory foundation we establish today,” she said.
PIXABAY PHOTO