Angara, Gordon push for setting up of nuke plant

By Christina Mendez - Philippine Star

Two senators see the need for the country to set up a nuclear power plant to reduce the cost of electricity.

Senators Richard Gordon and Edgardo Angara said nuclear power is being used in rich countries in Europe and neighboring countries like Taiwan and South Korea.

“We should be able to study and come out with nuclear power or actually open up nuclear power because itís cheaper compared to biofuels,” Gordon said.

“In Europe, they are now making more nuclear plants, in Hong Kong, and in Taiwan. Malapit na rin naman ang Taiwan sa atin, why don’t we put up our own power plant?”

Gordon said the government should study the creation of other nuclear power plants since the Bataan Nuclear Plant has been closed down.

“It has been compromised,” he said. “You cannot use the reactor anymore, you have to change it.”
Angara said the government should start putting extra effort in research and development and training of people in the use of nuclear power.

“Nuclear technology is now becoming again worthy of study,” he said.

“Nuclear technology is getting safer and cleaner. The example of nuclear technology being far advanced is France and Sweden. Right in the center of Paris there is a nuclear plant.

“Right in the center of Stockholm, there is a nuclear plant. And they have not caused any leak at all. Our neighbor up North, Taiwan is powered mainly by nuclear power. South Korea also.

“Against the emotional passion we injected into the nuclear debate, we might encounter difficulty but we should not shy away from studying nuclear technology now because we have no nuclear scientists, we have no nuclear technologists.

“We must begin training them in preparation for the time when nuclear energy will become so safe because it will no longer be fission (and) there will be no danger of explosion.”