Napocor studying Kepco rehab plan for Bataan nuclear plant

State-owned National Power Corp. (Napocor) has started evaluating the estimated $1-billion financial plan submitted by the Korea Electric Power Corp (Kepco) for the rehabilitation of the 600-megawatt (MW) Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP). "Yes, [Kepco] submitted a financial plan. The initial estimate is $1 billion," Napocor President Froilan Tampinco said, adding that the plan would be reviewed by a technical committee. "We are currently evaluating it prior to submission to the Napocor board," he said. The committee's evaluation will be submitted to the company board next month. The financial plan, Tampinco said, would allow the Napocor to appreciate and decide if it would proceed with reviving the nuclear power facility. The Napocor considered the revival of the nuclear facility as one of its major thrusts this year. But it could not proceed with the proposed recommissioning without looking at the financial figures from Kepco. He said the Napocor and KEPCO have to agree on the cost estimate and period of implementation. "I gave them up to January to come up with a recommendation so that I can present [it] to the board," Tampinco said. He said that after evaluating Kepco's financial plan, its board would decide if the Napocor would participate in the rehabilitation of the nuclear plant. This, however, would require legislation, he pointed out. "Hopefully, the legislative piece would give us the added mandate to pursue the rehabilitation," he said. Late late year, Kepco submitted the result of its feasibility study, which confirmed the viability of rehabilitating the BNPP. But Tampinco said there were a number of factors to consider, including the cost of rehabilitation. "We received the feasibility study and the bottom line recommendation [was]… that it is possible to rehabilitate the plant. But the key question to them [was] what would be the cost?" Tampinco said. He also said they have to find out how long the rehabilitation would take. - NPA, GMANews.TV