Philippines, US sign accord to promote civil nuclear cooperation

The governments of the Philippines and the US on Tuesday signed an accord to further enhance the collaboration between the two countries on exploring nuclear power.

The Department of Energy and the United States Agency for International Development signed a memorandum of understanding to promote US-Philippines civil nuclear cooperation. pic.twitter.com/kLuj6rHSaO

— Ted Cordero (@Ted_Cordero) May 21, 2024

At the sidelines of the Indo-Pacific Business Forum in Taguig City, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla and US Agency for International Development-Philippines Mission Director Ryan Washburn signed a memorandum of understanding to promote the Philippines-US Civil Nuclear Cooperation.

The MOU came months after the Philippines and the US signed the “123 Agreement” last year.

The so-called “123 Agreement” would allow the US to export nuclear technology and material to the Philippines, providing a legal framework for civil and nuclear-related investments, particularly nuclear power.

Based on the fact sheet provided by the US Embassy in the Philippines, the USAID will commission a study on nuclear power viability to assist the Philippine government in engaging stakeholders for enhanced public acceptance of nuclear power in the country.

The study also aims to provide an overview of the technical, socio-economic, financial, and regulatory aspects of nuclear power in the Philippines

It will also explore scenarios of incorporating nuclear energy in the Philippine overall energy mix and provide recommendations on ways by which the private sector can effectively and efficiently participate in this process.

In his remarks during the signing, Lotilla said that the government included nuclear power in the country’s energy mix under the Philippine Energy Plan for 2023 to 2050.

“We look forward to exploring the different opportunities for attaining this,” the Energy chief said.

“We welcome the initiative of the United States government to have this working group of US firms that are interested in offering services in the civil nuclear space,” Lotilla said.

“As you know, the Philippines chairs the meetings of the Minister of Energy meetings of the Special Committee on Nuclear Power.  And while we have had no significant activities for many years, the renewed interest in civilian uses of nuclear power is now viewed by many of the Southeast Asian countries as a viable option,” he said.

Apart from promoting civil nuclear cooperation, the DOE also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Philippine American Educational Foundation.

“We also had the pleasure of collaborating with the Philippine American Educational Foundation (PAEF) which gave us an opportunity to have advanced training for the clean energy sector in developing the human resources needed, including the opportunities for civil nuclear cooperation,” Lotilla said. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News