Philippines Revives Nuclear Facility to Build Capacity and Support Sustainable Energy Mix

I am impressed by the fact that the Philippines has revived its nuclear capabilities after a gap of more than three decades. The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) has completed the loading of 44 nuclear fuel rods into the core of the newly constructed Subcritical Assembly for Training, Education, and Research (SATER) facility.

The SATER facility will remain in a subcritical state, which means that the nuclear fission chain reaction is dependent on neutrons from an external source. This provides a safe and versatile tool for researchers and students without reaching a self-sustaining chain reaction, known as the critical state.

The Philippine government has shown interest in including nuclear energy in its energy mix, and the PNRI Reactor Group's efforts are aligned with this vision. The IAEA has been supporting the PNRI through a series of technical cooperation projects, assisting the local regulatory and operating staff by providing recommendations on licensing and commissioning the PRR-1 SATER.

Subcritical assemblies, such as the PRR-1 SATER, are valuable educational and research tools, which will support recently launched nuclear education programmes at the University of the Philippines Diliman and Mapua University. It will also be used for reactor physics experiments, neutron irradiation, and neutron activation analysis.

The facility is expected to become fully operational by 2023 and become a training reactor for research reactor operators, regulators, and users. This will increase the research reactor stakeholder base in the country and pave the way for the Philippines to strengthen its niche in the nuclear field.

Building capacity and developing a new generation of scientists and workforce in this field is essential to support the sustainable energy mix of the country. The Philippines is poised to become a key player in the nuclear field, and the successful revival of its nuclear capabilities marks a significant milestone towards achieving this goal.

I am thrilled to see the country's renewed interest in nuclear energy, which holds the promise of powering economic growth while reducing the carbon footprint. I look forward to witnessing the Philippines' progress in this field.

More at Nuclear Power Forum Asia, May 11-12, 2023, The Bellevue Manila.