Former Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco yesterday called for the establishment of nuclear power plants in the country, including Negros Occidental, to ensure cheaper electricity and to save the country from power shortages that will cripple its economic growth.

Cojuangco issued the call at a press conference at the Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City, and Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. said he supports the idea.

Marañon said he has always been in favor of nuclear power plants.

Japan that was hit by atomic bombs has nuclear power plants, as well as the United States and Europe, the governor pointed out.

“I agree that the way to the future for us is nuclear (power),” he said, adding that he is inviting potential nuclear power plant investors to discuss their offers for further study.

“We must have an alternative source of power in Negros,“ the governor said, noting that the earliest a nuclear power plant can be built in the province is 2018 with construction to take about four years, which means it can be operational by 2022 yet.

He said Cojuangco has agreed to return to Negros for a forum or debate on the establishment of a nuclear power plant in the province.

“It is a matter of the society accepting and wanting nuclear power for Negros…I am willing to participate in any debate on this matter,” Cojuangco said.

“This is the first step of a long journey toward nuclear power,” Marañon said.

The Mindanao power crisis is an example of what happens when there is a lack of electricity, everything stops – the economy, growth, job creation, Cojuangco said.

“A lot of difficulties come to our people when power is either too expensive or in short supply. There is a saying -- the most expensive power is no power at all,” he said.

“The supply of electricity in the country should be adequate and consistent in supply, and as cheap as the power in the countries surrounding the Philippines so we can compete on an equal footing,” he said.

“Nuclear energy is a necessary part of our energy mix in the Philippine if we are to have cheap, reliable and affordable energy,” he said.

Rather than weaken the case for the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in the Philippines, what happened to the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant following an earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, 2011 actually strengthens its case, Cojuangco said.

Before Fukushima, he could not categorically state that if an intensity 9 earthquake hit Bataan the plant would not collapse, he said.

Now he can categorically state that if an intensity 9 earthquake hits Bataan nothing will happen to the nuclear plant because its seismic specification is 0.4G that is much higher than Fukushima's 0.18G, Cojuangco said.

Fukushima survived the March 11, 2011 quake that hit Japan, he said.

The Bataan plant will be spared from a tsunami because it is located 19 meters above sea level with its generator located on the first floor, while the Fujushima plant is 6 meters above sea level with its generator located in its basement, he added.

The Bataan nuclear plant with modern technology is safer than the Fukishima plant, Cojuangco said, adding that nobody died because of radiation there.

2ND NUCLEAR ERA

In April of 2013 China will inaugurate four Westinghouse generation-3 plus nuclear plants, he said. The generation-3 plus plants allow for passive cooling, which means with their complete disconnection from electricity or damage of standby generators they can cool themselves by natural processes such as convection to remain safe, Cojuangco said.

The US that has for 34 years disallowed the construction of new nuclear plants this year issued construction and operation licenses for two plants in Georgia and two plants in South Carolina, he said, with more expected to be built.

“A second nuclear era has started in the USA,” Cojuangco said.

The Philippines had inherited its anti-nuclear sentiments from the United States in the 70s and 80s, but now with new developments in the world that allow for safe plants he is asking the Filipino people to reconsider their stand, he said.

“Without cheap energy we have no economic future to speak of, we will never pull ourselves out of poverty. I believe nuclear power addresses not only cheap energy, it addresses global warming and climate change… it is the cleanest and safest energy ever invented by human kind and we ought to use it to serve our people,” Cojuangco said.

MINDANAO

Cojuangco said several provinces in Mindanao are seriously thinking of inviting the national government to locate nuclear plants in their localities.

“The first one is Zamboanga del Sur, which issued a provincial board resolution to that effect last week, and I think that Davao del Sur, South Cotabato and General Santos may follow suit,” he said.

If Negros Occidental puts up a nuclear power plant, its central location in the Visayas will allow it to provide power to Cebu and Panay, he said.

“It would be an opportunity for your locality to benefit from a new generation nuclear power plant, in which you can ask for a discount on the electric power price to be sold in your locality that would be a tremendous boost to the local economy,” he added.

Cojuangco also said he hopes he can be a catalyst to begin a public debate and discussion on the merits or demerits of nuclear power in Negros Occidental.

New generation power plants can be purchased by 2018 but the ground work should start now, he said.

Cojuangco said wind and solar power will be too expensive to be imposed on the Filipino people at P25 to 50 per kilowatt hour.

Today wholesale electric power is sold between P4.50 and P5 per kilowatt hour, while nuclear power will cost half the amount, he said.

He also said nuclear power plants today can be built in 50 megawatt increments so they will not be as expensive as before.

Nuclear power costs $4,000 to $6,000 per kilowatt, he said.

SENATE BID

Asked if he is running for senator, Cojuangco said his problem with running for the post is that his nuclear power advocacy could be misconstrued.

“I don't want my advocacy to suffer so I'm really thinking about it well. On the flipside, as a senator I can do a lot for the cause,” he said.*CPG

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