The Philippine government is reassessing the potential revival of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, a facility completed in 1984 but never activated, as part of its broader strategy to enhance energy security amid rising global fuel uncertainties. Located on an 800-acre site in Morong, west of Manila, the plant was originally conceived during the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in the 1970s to reduce dependence on imported oil following the 1973 global energy crisis.

Today, the plant remains a concrete shell with aging equipment that has been maintained but largely dormant for decades. While the structure’s single completed reactor was designed to generate 621 megawatts, experts caution that reactivating the facility would require significant investment, including replacing approximately 25% of its components, at an estimated cost of around $1 billion.

The original project faced numerous challenges from its inception. Construction began in 1976 with the intention of supporting the Philippines’ growing energy needs, and thousands of local workers benefited from jobs generated by the plant. However, the 1979 nuclear accident at the Three Mile Island plant in the United States intensified safety concerns, fueling opposition from local activists and environmental groups. The Marcos Sr. government was criticized for suppressing dissent and allegations of corruption linked to the plant’s construction contract, which was awarded to the American company Westinghouse amid accusations of illegal payments.

Despite the completion of the plant, it was never brought online. The 1986 ouster of Ferdinand Marcos Sr., coupled with the Chernobyl disaster the same year, dampened enthusiasm for nuclear energy in the Philippines. The new government subsequently mothballed the facility and sold off its nuclear fuel. The country continued to rely on other sources of energy while paying down the plant’s debts for two decades.

Decades later, the son of Marcos Sr., Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who assumed the presidency in 2022, has renewed interest in nuclear power as a means to ensure stable energy supply amid recent global geopolitical conflicts affecting oil markets, including the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. In 2024, the Philippine Energy Department commissioned a feasibility study from Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company to assess the possibility of reactivating the Bataan plant. The Energy Department has acknowledged the study’s completion but has not disclosed its findings, emphasizing that other sites and options are also under consideration.

While the revitalization of the Bataan facility could contribute to the country’s long-term energy goals, the project remains controversial. Many Filipinos recall the political repression and corruption associated with its construction, and concerns persist over the plant’s safety given the Philippines’ susceptibility to natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis. The timeline for reactivation has also been pushed back; although initially targeted for 2032, the Energy Department now suggests nuclear power generation could begin closer to 2038.

Noel Germano, the plant’s current manager, expressed skepticism that the facility would be operational during his tenure, as the process requires extensive technical upgrades and rigorous safety re-evaluations. With a planned retirement in 2030, Mr. Germano’s cautious outlook reflects the significant challenges ahead in realizing the decades-old vision for nuclear energy in the Philippines.